


Something More

by SilverKitsune2017



Category: Naruto
Genre: Action & Romance, F/M, Female Sasuke, Fluff, Humor, Hurt/Comfort, Opposites Attract, Swords
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-22
Updated: 2018-02-20
Packaged: 2019-02-18 06:47:18
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 23
Words: 93,012
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13094649
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SilverKitsune2017/pseuds/SilverKitsune2017
Summary: Fem Sasuke x Suigetsu. At first, he was just a means to an end. She wanted to kill Itachi and assembling a team would make that much easier. Suigetsu was a skilled swordsmen and a Prodigy in the Art of Murder. He would do nicely. She never thought that it would turn into something more, but it did. Well she did still have a Clan to restore.





	1. Enter Taka

**Author's Note:**

> Author's Note: In this story, Sasuke was born female and her name is Suki. Some of this story will follow cannon, but eventually it is going to diverge radically. This is also one of my older stories, so the technical style isn't as good as my new ones. I still love the uniqueness of this pairing though and hope you do too. If any of that bothers you, you might want to turn back now. For those of you still here, I hope you enjoy this story and reviews are always appreciated.
> 
> Disclaimer: I own nothing and make no profit off of any of my stories.

Orochimaru was dead. That meant that there was no reason for Suki Uchiha to stay in the Sound Village. Now was the time to seek out Itachi and finally avenge her Clan.

In order to do this, Suki knew that assembling the right team was essential. Thankfully, she already knew who she wanted to recruit for this mission. Three exceptionally talented, though at least mildly insane ninjas would make up her team. She was going to start with Suigetsu.

"I wonder what he did to deserve this." She mutters to herself as she swings her sword into the glass tank that was criminal ninja's prison.

It was filled with water. That was only to be expected. She had chosen Suigetsu not only for his skill with blades and sadistic personality, but also for his genetic gifts. His Clan was famous for their water techniques. That would serve her well on her quest for revenge.

While Suki was pondering this, the water flowed out of the holding tube and Suigetsu emerged. He was behind her in a flash. The violet eyed ninja actually then proceeded to his hand by her ear in gesture designed to look similar to a gun.

"You're coming with me. You're going to help me kill Itachi Uchiha." Suki instructs him.

She didn't even flinch. The raven haired woman knew that Suigetsu was capable of using Water Bullets. That was why he was behind her. That and clearly he was trying to intimidate her.

Suki had lived in the Sound Village long enough to know his type. If he sensed any fear, Suigetsu was going to go for the kill. She wouldn't give him the satisfaction.

"What makes you think that I'm going to help you, Princess?" He demands, not lowering his hand.

The youngest Uchiha sighs and fights back her irritation at the nickname. He was hardly the first to call her that, but the way he said it was really annoying. It was so sarcastic and annoying, that she almost gave into the impulse to smack him in the face. Maybe that would teach him some manners!

"I killed Orochimaru and I freed you from that tank." She points out, deciding to ignore her irritation for the time being.

"That's true, but we know that you didn't do that for me. Don't get me wrong, Princess. We all did. You were just lucky enough to be close enough to him to take the shot." The white haired, naked male retorts.

"That's all true. It still doesn't change the fact that without me, you'd still be stuck in that tank. That and I have something you want." The Uchiha replies slyly.

Suki was aware that Suigetsu wasn't wearing any clothes. She was very aware of that fact, but she wasn't going to let the Murder Prodigy know that. It was something that was far too easily exploitable.

She had never actually seen a naked man before. The former Leaf Ninja had seen ninjas train shirtless, but never more than that. While Suki was curious, she knew better than to actually look. That would give the smug bastard entirely too much satisfaction.

"I'm listening, Princess. What do you have that you think I want?" He asks, pointing his "gun" closer to her.

"You want the Seven Swords. Itachi is a member of the Akatsuki. That organization always assigns its members to work in pairs of two. My brother's partner is a man named Kisame. Kisame is the current owner of Samehada." The Uchiha woman informs him.

That was enough to cause Suigetsu to lower his weapon. Suki smirks when she felt his hand leave her ear. He wasn't stupid enough to blow her brains out now. He wanted Samehada too much to do that.

"Well you've got my attention. I want that sword and you want to kill your brother. For the moment, our goals overlap. Don't get any funny ideas though. This doesn't mean that you're in charge. The second that I get Kisame's sword, I'm gone. I ain't gonna risk my neck for yours, once I have it." Suigetsu warns her.

"That's fine. I wasn't going to ask for much more than that. Well other than the fact that you should really put some pants on." Suki says as she tosses some clothes at him.

"What's the matter, Princess? See something you like?" He teases her as he quickly dresses.

"I didn't see anything. You got out of the tube before I did and don't flatter yourself. I have better things to do than to stare at you." The young woman snaps at him.

Suigetsu smirks. Suki could deny it as much as she wanted, but he knew the truth. The Uchiha Princess was flustered. Very flustered.

"Whatever you say. Let's get going. I want to get my hands on that sword as soon as possible." He says

"Alright. Along the way, we are going to add two more people to our team though." Suki informs him.

The violet eyed ninja blinks. He wasn't entirely sure that he liked the sounds of that. He was far from a team player and he really doubted Suki was either.

"Who?" He demands.

"Karin and Jugo. They are staying at some prison. Karin is the warden. Jugo is an inmate." She explains.

Suigetsu twitches. Jugo was alright when he wasn't in the middle of one of his rages, but Karin?! Was Suki trying to get him killed?!

"Jugo blacks out and goes into violent rages. He's known as Jugo of the Scales. Anything can tip the scale and set him off. As for Karin, she's a crazy bitch. Are you sure that you really want them to tag along?" Suigetsu asks.

Suki knew that she was smirking, but she couldn't help it. Karin wasn't even a combat ninja, but she clearly scared the Prodigy in the Art of Murder. That was most amusing. That and he seemed slightly wary of Jugo.

"I don't care if she's a bitch. What I care about is results. She has powerful healing and sensory abilities. Both of those things are very useful. If you can't handle the fact that they are going to be on our team, then I guess you're out of luck. Good luck getting that sword without my help." She taunts him.

Suigetsu grumbles. She didn't play fair. That was hitting below the belt and the Uchiha had to know it. He'd do almost anything to get his hands on the Samehada.

"Alright. I guess I can put up with her for a little while." He says.

"Good. Let's get going." Suki replies as they head off.

Suigetsu flits off after Suki. There was something almost hypnotic about doing so. The Uchiha Princess might be a sassy bitch, but she was also very graceful.

Her movements were fluid. It reminded Suigets of water. Considering which village and Clan he hailed from, that was certainly something that he found appealing. It might be fun to mess with her.

"How far away is the prison?" He asks her.

"If we're lucky, we can be there by nightfall." Suki replies.

The sword lover blinks at that answer. Damn it. He was going to need water before then. If he got dehydrated, bad things happened.

"We'll have to stop somewhere for water before then." He points out.

Suki sighs and skids to a halt. She had thoroughly researched the ninjas that she wanted to recruit. That included strengths and weaknesses.

"We have water. Here." She says as she hands him a canteen.

"Thanks." Suigetsu replies and he takes the canteen, drinking deeply.

Suki nods. Now that she could actually see his face, she was reluctantly admitted that he did have ethereal eyes. She had never seen violet eyes before. They were beautiful and rather expressive.

At the moment, he looked like a puppy that had found a steak. It was cute in a bizarre way. She mentally slaps herself for applying that adjective to him though. He was a dangerous, criminal ninja. Cute was the last word that she should ever associate with him.

"You're welcome. If we are going to take out Kisame and Itachi, I need you all to be in fighting condition. For you, that means proper dehydration. For Karin and Jugo, it means something different." She reasons.

"Of course. You'll make a good little housewife someday. I mean you're playing the part of a hostess and all. Got everyone's lunches packed and everything." Suigetsu says with a smirk.

Suki felt herself twitch. So much for cute. Now she wanted to hit him, but she wasn't going to. That's likely what he wanted.

"You're that bored already, huh? Or are you just a Masochist?" Suki raises an eyebrow.

"Hmm. I didn't now that the Leaf Village taught it's ninjas about stuff like that. Where did our innocent Uchiha Princess learn about Masochism?" Suigetsu inquires outrageously.

"You know that's NOT how I meant it! Oh and for your information, I've spent the past three years in the Sound. Trust me, I've learned far more about such topics than I ever cared to! Nevermind. Let's go." She snaps at him, feeling her face burn slightly with embarrassment.

"Guess you're more of a dominatrix than anything else. Man, you're bossy!" Suigetsu taunts her.

He knew that was probably pushing her too far. Suigetsu couldn't help it though. It was fun to get under her skin.

"You damn deviant!" She growls at him as she raises her fist to go and strike him.

Of course, pissing off the Uchiha was a dangerous adrenaline rush. She wasn't just bark. Suki also had a lot of bite to her.

That's why he was prepared for her attack. Suki went to hit him and he liquefied himself. Suki's hand only hit water instead of his face, much to the Princess's displeasure.

"That's cheating." She mutters in disgust.

"It is not. Did you really think that I was going to let you seriously hit me? I'm not that stupid. Maybe the boys in the Leaf were, but I'm not." He states.

"Whatever. Let's get going." She says as darts off towards the prison and Suigetsu follows her.

* * *

They arrived a few hours later. Suki had been right about the timing, Suigetsu muses to himself. The Moon was just ascending when they stepped inside the prison.

"This place gives me the creeps." He whispers.

It was ancient. There were probably hundreds of cells. Inside about half of them were ninjas who had seen better days. Some were clearly insane and muttering to themselves, others were staring blankly into space. The worst ones though were trying to escape in a fight of rage or desperation.

The scent of blood, sweat, and decay hung heavily in the air. Suigetsu had no idea how Karin could tolerate this place. She seemed like a pretty finicky type of woman. He would have thought that the red head would have already been driven insane by the sheer unhygienic and depressing nature of the prison.

"I can't exactly disagree with you there. Wait here. Considering what you told me about her, I doubt Karin will be happy to see you. It might be better, if I talk to her first." Suki reasons.

"Whatever. If you want to talk to the crazy person alone, that's no skin off of my nose. I'll just wait for you here." He tells her as he sips some more water out of his canteen.

"Thanks." Suki says and she continues searching the prison for Karin.

She knew that it would be easy to identify her. The ninja in question would be the only one outside of a cell. Well besides herself and Suigetsu.

"Suki Uchiha? What are you doing here?" She hears a feminine voice call out to her.

Suki mentally sighs in relief. It was getting rather annoying, having to search through the entire prison to find her. They were wasting a lot of time.

"I'm here because I need your help." She says as she approaches the other woman.

_Could those shorts get any shorter,_ Suki wonders to herself. Like any good ninja, Suki couldn't help but take in her surroundings. In this case, that meant Karin and her ridiculously short shorts.

"What do you need my help with? Is Lord Orochimaru okay?" She asks.

"No. He's dead. I killed him. He tried to take my body and I wasn't going to allow that to happen. I still have two goals to accomplish. I can't do that, if I'm dead." The youngest Uchiha informs her.

Karin gasps. She couldn't believe it. Orochimaruu was dead. His quest for immortality had ironically, been the end of him. She wasn't entirely certain how to feel about that.

After all, the Sannin had offered her a home. Well the closest thing to a home that she had ever had. She couldn't say that she was happy as a Sound Ninja or as a Prison Warden, but it was certainly better than the life she had been living previously. At least here, she wasn't a human chew toy.

"If he's dead, what are you doing here? What do you want?" She asks.

Karin couldn't lie. She was terrified. If Suki had truly killed Orochimaru, that made her a powerful ninja. Her chakra certainly felt powerful. Those two facts didn't necessarily bode well for her.

"I want you to join my team. I'm going to kill Itachi Uchiha. Your medical and sensory skills will prove useful. If you help me, I'll help you. When I go back to the Leaf, you can live in the Uchiha District and no one will ever bite you without your permission again. I looked into your background. I know what of horrors you've seen." The raven haired woman answers honestly.

Karin blinks. Suki was offering her a home, if she helped the other ninja kill her brother. Well it was certainly tempting.

"What if I refuse your offer? What will you do to me?" The red head asks in a voice barely above a whisper.

"Nothing. You can stay here and rot if you like. Orochimaru is dead. No one else is going to notice or care about what happens to you. It doesn't have to be that way though." She says.

Karin bites her lower lip as she considers Suki's words. She was right. If Orochimaru was dead, no one was really going to come looking for her. She'd just end up rotting in prison. She might not be in an actual cell, but she'd still be a prisoner.

"I'll go with you." She says.

"Good. Now where is Jugo? Like I said, I'm putting together a team. You, Jugo, and Suigetsu are on it." Suki explains.

The red head could only gape at her. She couldn't possibly be serious. Most of the time, Jugo was a very gentle and loving person. Unfortunately, he could fly into a homicidal rage without any warning. As for Suigetsu, well Suki clearly either didn't know much about him or must have lost her mind.

"Jugo can't control himself. He sometimes blacks out and flies into these rampages. He's very dangerous. Suigetsu is even worse in a way though. He kills for fun." The other criminal ninja informs her.

"Oh I'm aware of that. That's part of the reason why I want them on my team to begin with. I'm not looking for friends or saints. I'm looking for people who can help me achieve my goal. Itachi Uchiha's death is all that I want." Suki states bluntly.

Karin nods. She could understand that. The man had killed their family. It only natural that she would want revenge, but still. Suigetsu?

"Jugo is trustworthy, when he's in his right mind. I still don't think it's a good idea to drag Suigetsu along with us though." She says.

"I don't care if you think it's a good idea or not. You can come with us or stay here. Either way, take me to Jugo." Suki orders her.

"Alright, but sleep with one eye open. Don't trust that creep. His chakra is really weird and has a foul odor!" She states as she leads Suki to Jugo's cell.

* * *

When they got there, Suki notes that Suigetsu was already there. He was talking with Jugo. Jugo was still in side the cell, but he seemed to be in control of himself for the moment. That was a very good sign.

"I assume that Suigetsu explained to you why we are here?" Suki asks the orange haired ninja.

"He told me. I'm flattered, but this isn't a good idea. I'm not safe. That's why I'm here. I can fly into a rage at any moment." He says.

That's when Suki activates her Sharingan. It was sweet that Jugo was worried about their safety. Really it was, but she didn't have time for sweet.

"That's exactly why I want you on our team. You're strong. You can help us kill my brother. Don't worry about your rages. If you lose control, I can keep you in line." She says and Jugo's eyes widen as he stares into her Sharingan.

This was the woman that Kimimaro had been sent to retrieve. The Sharingan. That was why Orochimaru wanted her so badly. The killer intent that radiated from those eyes was almost paralyzing. He could see why the Sanin had wanted her to be his vessel so badly.

Kimimaro had given his life to ensure that she was brought to the Sound Village. In a way, Suki was the living manifestation of his will. He would help her to honor his fallen friend's memory.

"I'll go with you." He vows and Suigetsu blinks.

That was easy. Actually, that was a little too easy. It was almost suspiciously so really.

Suigetsu watches Jugo warily for signs that he was about to lose it. No one ever really knew what would transform the gentle giant into a monster that belonged only in one's nightmares. He was dangerous.

The sword lover knew one thing, he wasn't going to allow Jugo to hurt Suki. That thought did disturb him for a moment, but he console himself with the fact that he had a practical reason for wanting the youngest Uchiha to live. She was the key to him finding the Samehada.

"Good. Karin, let him out." Suki says as she deactivates her Sharingan.

"Are you sure about this?" Karin says as she takes out the key.

"I'm positive. Just do it. I can handle it, if he loses it." The raven haired woman assures her.

Karin sighs and reluctantly places the key in the door. It didn't take her long to open it and for Jugo to walk out. For a few minutes, it seemed like everything was going to be fine.

Of course, it didn't last. Karin wasn't sure what set Jugo off,, but suddenly his entire demeanor changed and he came rushing at Suki with an ax that he had made out of his chakra. She could only watch in horror.

"DIE!" He cackles madly at Suki as he charges at her.

Before Suki could react, Suigetsu did it for her. His sword was raised quickly and blocked Jugo's ax. Suki blinks.

She hadn't expected him to defend her. Then again, he had to. Suigetsu wanted the Samehada and she was the fastest way towards him achieving his goal. For the moment, they needed each other.

"Stop it!" She says simply as she summons two large snakes and has them wrap themselves around her teammates.

The Uchiha didn't waste any time in approaching the now restrained Jugo. This was going to be more annoying than she originally thought. She would have to watch him closely. Seemingly that episode had been triggered by nothing and that was cause for concern.

"Jugo, you are not going to do that again." She warns him.

Suki activates her Sharingan. Jugo seemed to take that seriously. That might be enough to settle him. At least, that was her hope.

As far as she could tell, he was actually a good person. The man had just been dealt a bad hand by genetics. His Clan had great power, but it came at a terrible price. Their sanity.

Fortunately, that seemed to do the trick. Jugo calmed down immediately and Suki released them both from serpents' hold.

"That's better." She says and Jugo nods, as if he was in some kind of daze.

"What'd you tie me up for?! I was protecting you!" Suigetsu demands in outrage.

Suki sighs. How was she going to explain that to the potentially psychotic ninja? She had to tie them both up. It was the only way to ensure that they would both be safe.

"I tied you both up for safety reasons. I didn't want you to come at him, while I was calming him down. I also didn't want him to hurt you. Thank you. I appreciate your stepping in, but I could have handled it." She assures him.

The last thing that she wanted was for him to believe that she was like Sakura. She wasn't the type of ninja that needed her male teammates to save her. No. Suki Uchiha could stand on her own two feet. Thank you, very much.

"I guess that makes sense. Don't do it again though. Snakes kinda freak me out. I've spent way too much time with Orochimaru." Suigetsu grumbles.

"Noted. It looks like we have everyone now. Let's go." Suki says.

"Where are we going? Do we even know where Itachi is?" Karin asks.

The last female Uchiha shakes her head. She didn't know, but she knew that eventually they would find out. Itachi had a blue skinned partner. Kisame stuck out like a sore thumb. It really shouldn't be that hard to pin down their location.

"I'm open to suggestions. For now, I thought that we would find the nearest village and begin questioning civilians. They might have seen something. Kisame has a rather distinctive look." She says.

Suigetsu snorts in amusement. Suki was putting it rather tactfully, but that only made sense. She was an Uchiha Princess. She had probably been brought up all prim and proper. He was surprised that she hadn't fainted when she saw him naked really.

Leaf Villagers were notoriously bashful about that sort of thing. Mist Ninjas had never been bothered by the sight of the human body. Leaf Villagers though, well they got embarrassed easily. Though it was interesting to note, that that didn't appear to be the case with a certain Uchiha woman.

"You mean he looks like his mother hooked up with a shark!" Suigetsu supplies "helpfully."

"I guess you could say that. I don't really care what he looks like though. It's Itachi that I'm interested in." Suki replies.

"That's fine. I'm gonna make me some shark fin soup, when I get done with him. That sword is all mine." He says.

Suki shakes her head in amusement. Well Suigetsu was certainly a goal-driven individual. No one could deny that.

"Whatever. Let's get going. I'm not going to waste anymore time at this damn prison." The raven haired woman says as she heads off.

The other members of her team soon follow her. Karin was hopeful that she was going to start a new life in the Leaf Village. Jugo was worried that he would go into a violent rage again and cautiously optimistic that somehow Suki might be able to control his rages. Finally, there was Suigetsu who only had two thoughts on his mind.

The first that he was going to get Kisame's sword. That one didn't surprise him. What did surprise him though was how worried he had been about Suki when Jugo came at her. As much as he wanted to pretend that it was just about the sword, he knew that it was something more than that. He just didn't know what yet.


	2. Feisty Little Ice Princess

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Team Taka awkwardly bonds as they continue on their quest to find Itachi.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's Note: Thanks for the reviews. I hope that you all enjoy this chapter.

A few hours later, they arrive at a small village. Suki looks up at the sky and observes a beautiful Full Moon illuminating their way. It was late. They should probably find a place to stay for the night.

"Where the Hell are we?" Suigetsu asks as he sips on his canteen.

"We're in one of the outlying villages of the Rice Country. We're about to cross into neutral territory. None of the Five Great Nations owns it. If we continue going West, we'll eventually reach the Earth Nation." Karin says.

Suki frowns as she bites her lower lip and considers their options. West would lead them to the Earth Nation. East would take them towards the Lightning Nation. That or they could head towards the Water Nation, but they'd a lot closer to the Fire Nation than she wanted to be.

She didn't really have a clear destination in mind. The raven haired woman knew that avoiding the Leaf would be ideal though. That meant that she and her team would have to avoid the Fire Nation at all costs.

"We'll continue West in the morning. For tonight, we should find lodging." Suki reasons.

Her teammates didn't protest this plan. Suki figured that was likely because they were all as tired as she was. They were more interested in sleep than where they were going in the morning.

"You're looking a little tired, Princess." Suigetsu observes as they head towards an Inn in the center of the village.

"Stop calling me that. It's annoying and I'm fine." The Uchiha woman replies.

Suki was lying of course. She was dead on her feet. Of course, she wasn't going to let Suigetsu know that.

He'd never let her live it down. They had been traveling for awhile and she had fought Orochimaru before that. She was at her limit and apparently, Suigetsu could tell.

"You sure? I could carry you, if you like. Bet you're light as a feather. We can't have our Princess exhausting herself." He taunts her.

"That's it. CHIDORI!" Suki growls as she lunges at him.

Her movements must have been slightly slowed from exhaustion. Suigetsu was able to dodge and grab her by the arm. Before she knew it, she was pulled flushed against him.

"What did I tell you about not letting you hit me?" He whispers.

Suki was facing him. They were standing chest to chest. The pair of ninjas was so close that she could feel the warmth of his body and breath against her skin. Simply put, that was too close.

She could even identify his scent. His scent was remarkably similar to spring rain and the salty sea. There was also a third underlying scent that she couldn't exactly name, but she filed it under the category of _masculine._

"Good thing that I don't need you to let me hit you. I'll just do it." She retorts cockily.

"Oh really?" He asks and Suki nods her head vigorously as if to confirm her point.

Suigetsu smirks. She was a feisty little ice princess. Thank goodness that she wasn't a total harpy like Karin.

He was going to enjoy traveling with her. Suki was easy to wind up. It was just in a different way than her female teammate. That and she didn't scream like a banshee. That was always a plus.

"Really." Suki says determinedly as her Sharingan activates in a show of defiance.

* * *

"Oh boy. I'm going to go check us in." Jugo whispers to Karin.

Karin nods in agreement. Jugo could take care of it. She was going to stick around and watch the fireworks. If she was really lucky, Suki might Chidori Suigetsu while he was in his liquid form. Now THAT would be funny.

"Alright. I'll make sure that they don't kill each other." The red head replies.

Jugo shakes his head in amusement. He didn't believe that for minute. Karin hated Suigetsu. She'd probably let Suki electrocute him or something.

He supposed that it didn't matter though. Suigetsu was tough. He could take a Hell of a beating. Suki would likely be more than willing to smack him around a bit, but that didn't change the fact that Suigetsu was a powerful ninja in his own right.

"I'll be back as soon as I can." The gentle giant assures her.

With that being said, he darts inside the Inn. He really needed to get their rooms and quickly. Two rooms seemed the best way to go. Karin could share with Suki and he could share with Suigetsu.

* * *

"Princess, you're dead on your feet and we both know it. Now march that pretty little ass of yours inside the Inn and get some sleep. That or I will carry you." Suigetsu tells her.

Suki didn't know whether to be angry or to bluush. Did he really think that she was pretty or was that just an expression? Nevermind. It was Suigetsu. He was clearly just trying to get under her skin.

That and it didn't matter if he did think she was pretty. Her priority was killing Itachi at the moment. Not getting a boyfriend. (Well she was probably going to need to come up with a more dignified term than boyfriend, but she mentally digresses.)

"I seem to remember you saying that I wasn't the boss of you. Well that goes both ways. I'll march or not march wherever I want!" She snaps at him.

"Oh yeah. You're definitely from a Fire Clan. You have one Hell of a temper." He observes.

"I can show you a temper!" She growls at him.

She knew that Suigetsu was only teasing her. Sadly, the mention of her Clan always brought back painful memories. Suigetsu was metaphorically playing with fire and he didn't know it.

Suigets blinks. Suki was no longer playfully annoyed. She was actually angry. Then it finally clicked what her problem was. He probably shouldn't have mentioned her Clan.

"Alright, Princess. I know that was a bit below the belt. Let's just go get our rooms." He says.

Suki raises an eyebrow. That was apparently the closest to an apology that Suigetsu was capable of giving. She supposed that she would take what she could get.

"Whatever. You're right. We should get some sleep. We'll have a better chance against Itachi and Kisame when we are well-rested." Suki decrees.

"Yes, Princess." Suigetsu says as he rolls his eyes playfully and heads inside with Suki.

* * *

Jugo chuckles as he watches them walk inside the hotel room. It looked like Suigetsu had really gotten under Suki's skin. It was a mystery how Suigetsu had escaped without any serious injuries really.

After the twosome walk inside, Karin follows shortly after. The red head looked more than a little disappointed that a real fight hadn't broken out. Jugo just shakes his head at his other female teammate's pouting.

"Well I got us all rooms. Karin is staying with Suki. I'm staying with Suigetsu." He says simply.

"Alright. Sounds good. I don't really want to share a room with the banshee or ice princess anyway." The violet eyed ninja states.

Suki feels herself twitch. She didn't know why his words bothered her. They just didn't. The raven haired woman knew that she shouldn't take them personally, but it was still really annoying.

"Ha! As if either of us wanted to share a room with you! Suki has way better taste than that!" Karin yells at him as she drags the last female Uchiha off.

* * *

"Women can be really weird sometimes." Suigetsu observes.

Jugo could only nod in agreement. He didn't think that men would ever truly understand women. Of course, he acknowledged that the reverse was also likely true.

"Yeah. Come on. It's late. Let's get some sleep." He says as the two of them head off to their room for the night.

* * *

Meanwhile Itachi was in the Mist Village. He had a Genjutsu to change his appearance enough that no one recognized him. He had been living there on and off for a few months. (Well as much as he could live there and still successfully perform his Akatsuki duties.)

"Dai, how are your treatments coming along?" Mei asks in concern as she approaches him.

Mei was the Kage of the Mist Village. She was also a beautiful woman who was barely over the age of thirty. While the age gap was significant, Itachi didn't particularly mind that fact.

In fact, he tended to be more attracted to women who were older than him. They tended to hold more interesting conversations and were more powerful. More confident in their place as powerful ninjas and less worried about trivial things such as their hair or gossip.

"About as well as can be expected. I really do think that the treatments are helping." Itachi tells her.

He knew that it was wrong, but Itachi had seduced Mei to a certain extent. The young Kage had been more than willing to provide medical care for her love interest. She was a kind woman, after all.

Though Itachi doubted that she would be so kind, when he found out the truth. She was romantically involved with an S Class Criminal Ninja. An S Class Criminal Ninja who had massacred his own family.

"Good. I'm glad." Mei says with a smile as she caresses his cheek.

Itachi had lengthened his hair in this Jutsu. It now reached to the middle of his back. Instead of his trademark black color, it was now a midnight blue. That wasn't the only alteration that he had done to his appearance though.

He had lightened his skin tone until it matched Sasuke's and hidden his facial markings. His eyes, he decided to keep the same. As long as he didn't active his Sharingan in front of anyone, he doubted the smoky gray color mattered much. That combined with his new wardrobe, made him look like a completely different person.

"As am I, my love. As am I." He murmurs as he kisses the palm of her hand.

What disturbed Itachi was that he didn't really have to fake his affection towards her. That was growing more and more genuine by the day. He consoled himself with the fact that Mei knew that his illness could easily become terminal. His death wouldn't come as a complete shock to her.

He did hope that the woman never found out the truth though. Better to have the Kage have several pleasant memories of a love interest than to know that it had all been based on deception. She didn't deserve that kind of pain.

"Come. You should be resting." She says with a smile.

"You're right." He says as he walks off with her towards her bedroom.

One of the perks about catching the eye of the MizuKage was that you got to see her bedroom. Mei had a large queen sized canopy bed with silken pillows, sheets, and blankets. Itachi quite liked that bed really.

"Of course, I'm right. Well I do have some interesting news to report about Suki Uchiha." Mei says as she lays down next to Itachi.

"Really?" Itachi asks, his interests further perked by that statement.

He was rather skilled at forging documents. Mei actually thought that he was a Leaf Villager who was on a mission to bring Suki Uchiha back to the Leaf. A Leaf Village who just happened to have a very serious illness.

"It seems that Orochimaru is dead. The rumor is that she killed him. Rather impressive for a teenager, don't you think?" She muses.

Itachi tries to hide his smirk. That was his foolish little sister. She might be foolish, but she was also extraordinarily talented. It was in her blood, really.

"A rather impressive feat for anyone, no matter what their age may be." Itachi observes.

"That's certainly true. Now that Orochimaru is dead though, I expect that means she will begin searching for Itachi Uchiha in earnest." The auburn haired woman says.

"Most likely. I hope that she finds him and kills him. Someone who would murder their own family, doesn't deserve to live." He states plainly.

Mei tilts her head to the side in confusion. That certainly didn't sound like the kind and forgiving man that she had come to know. Then again, she had never really heard him talk about his family. Ever. Maybe it was a touchy subject for him.

"Well in most circumstances, I'm inclined to agree with you. There are some exceptions though. There is always self-defense." Mei argues.

"I suppose that's true. Very little in this world is entirely black or white." Itachi agrees as he runs his fingers through her hair and smiles.

It was a brief respite. When he was with her, he could temporarily forget the weight of his many sins that smothered him every day. It wouldn't last though. This was just the calm before the storm.

* * *

Back at the Inn, Suki sighs in relief once she was inside her room. She didn't even mind the fact that she had to share with Karin. It vaguely reminded her of her time on Team Seven.

There had been times when she had to share a tent or a room with Sakura while they were on a mission. It had been booth annoying and a relief at the same time. That summed up her entire experience with her former teammates really.

_"Suki! Suki! Oh no! Suki! Please wake up! Please!" Suki heard someone call out desperately, but she couldn't respond._

_Images of her life were flashing before her eyes. Images of Naruto. Probably because he was like her. He knew what it was like to be alone._

_She couldn't believe that she was going to die before she could kill Itachi. All because she had saved the loser. She didn't even know why she had done it. She had hated him._

_"SUKI!" She was distantly aware of someone snarling in the background and malicious chakra._

_That didn't bother her though. Suki felt herself fading. Where she was going, she wasn't entirely sure. Maybe she would see her family again. That would be nice._

_She'd apologize to them, of course. Suki would apologize for not being able to avenge them. That and hugging her family were the things that she most wanted to do._

_"SUKI!" Sakura shouted again as she hugged her tightly._

_The pain woke Suki up. The needles sunk just a little too far into her, for her too ignore it. She didn't know whether to laugh or cry, when she became fully conscious again and saw her team standing over her._

_They cared about her. They were so annoying and yet, it was good to know that she wasn't alone. It was a relief really._

"Suki, you alright? You look like you are spacing out on me." Karin asks in concern.

"Yeah. I'm fine. It's just been awhile since I've shared a room with another woman. The last time that I did that, I was still a Leaf Villager." Suki admits.

Karin blinks. Whatever she had been expecting Suki to say, it certainly wasn't that. Though she decides to take this as a good sign.

Suki wanted to bond with her! This really powerful ninja with amazing chakra wanted to become friends! Maybe Suki would be the first real friend that she ever had. (Well besides Karin's mother.)

"Oh. Do you miss it? Being a Leaf Villager, I mean?" She asks.

"Not really. Most of the Leaf didn't actually care about me as a person. Like you, they wanted me around more for my abilities than anything else. Your abilities heal people and mine do the opposite. Either way, we are really useful. The only exception was my team really and even that varied." She says with a sigh.

Karin nods sympathetically. She certainly could understand that. She and her mother had been used and abused for their medical gifts. It only made sense that Suki would feel like her village cared only for her abilities and not for her as a person.

"Well at least you had your team. Other than my mother, I never had anyone. I've been surrounded by idiots like Suigetsu for years." She whines.

"Suigetsu isn't an idiot. He's a little wild and rough around the edges, but I wouldn't say he's unintelligent. It's quite possible that he's a Masochist though." Suki observes thoughtfully.

"Maybe. That would explain a lot. So there's no one special in your life? There's no one back in the Leaf Village that you care about?" Karin asks curiously.

"I care about my team to a certain extent. They're wrong, but they think that they're helping me. They aren't though. They're only standing in the way of my goals." She mutters in annoyance.

Karin pauses as she considers that. Well that was good. It meant that Suki was unlikely to change her mind and leave them high and dry.

"That's sad, but I'm glad to met you. You have no idea how long I've been waiting for the chance to start a new life. You're my hero, Suki." She says with a smile.

"You need better heroes." Suki states simply.

* * *

At that same moment, Suigetsu was settling into his room with Jugo. He didn't mind Jugo. As long as the gentle giant was in his right mind, he was cool. He did have a problem with Karin though.

"Well it's definitely a few steps up from the tank." Suigetsu says cheerfully.

"I imagine so. Why did you agree to come with us. From what I know of you, you're more of a loner. You don't play well with others. That much is clear from your files." Jugo says.

Suigetsu raises an eyebrow in response at that declaration. Interesting. Orochimaru had either let Jugo see his files or the other man had found a way to sneak a peak.

"How did you get a chance to look over my files? That's kinda like reading my diary, isn't it?" The violet eyed man demands.

"Perhaps a little. I prefer to think of it as being smart though. Everyone with that Curse Mark is my copy. So it's in my best interests to monitor what happens to you and the others like you." He tells him without any embarrassment.

The white haired ninja tilts his head to the side as he considers something for the first time. Was it possible that Jugo felt some sort of almost paternal bond towards his "copies?" Maybe. He supposed anything was possible.

He decides he didn't care though. It was none of his business. Well at least it usually wasn't any of his business. Jugo had looked at his files though. That made it personal.

"Anything else in my background that you found interesting?" He inquires.

"You're a skilled swordsmen, but I've always known that. The fact that you were close to your brother and even Kisame to a degree, that surprises me though. I guess even Prodigies in the Art of Murder start off innocent. I think it's a good thing though. It means that your humanity wasn't stolen from you in that place." The orange haired man answers honestly.

The former Mist Ninja blinks. Well that was unexpected. Jugo was worried about whether or not people had lost their humanity in the Sound.

"You're weird. Why would you care about something like that?" He asks.

"I like people. It's just that I sometimes lose control. I can't help it. That and I'm not blind. I know that you have a soft spot for Suki. I just hope that Karin doesn't find out. She's never going to let any of us get a moment's peace, if she does." He observes.

Suigetsu twitches. Did he have a soft spot for Suki? She was beautiful and strong. The woman was fun to tease, but that didn't really mean anything important. Not really.

There were probably thousands, if not tens of thousands of girls that could fit that description. Well he doubted that any would really be as beautiful as the Uchiha Ice Princess, but that was besides the point. There were lots of beautiful, strong women out there. It wasn't like he was planning on proposing to her or something crazy like that!

"You're imagining things!" The violet eyed ninja informs him.

"Maybe. Forgive me. I believe that I may have overstepped my bounds." Jugo says quickly.

He didn't really believe that he had overstepped his bounds. The animal lover had seen the way that Suigetsu and Suki looked at each other. There was a definite attraction there.

"Yeah! You're damn right, that you did!" He says.

* * *

Suigetsu grumbles as he heads into the bathroom. He quickly draws a bath and gets into the soothing, hot water. Ah that was better.

He could feel all his irritation melting away. Water really was life, especially for his Clan. It was important to stay hydrated.

"Even Suki knew that." He muses.

He had only meant to taunt her about the wife comment. In hindsight, it was accurate though. Suki was definitely a planner. She was a really good planner and that was always a good quality for a Clan Matriarch.

"Which is what she is. I mean she's the only woman left in her Clan, but I guess it still counts." He muses to himself.

Hopefully, they would find Itachi and Kisame soon. He couldn't wait to get his hands on the Samehada! Now, that was a damn fine sword!

If he had had that sword, maybe he would have been the one to take out Orochimaru. Suki was strong, but he hadn't been lying when he said that she got lucky. Suki had the opportunity to kill that snake and to her credit, she had taken it.

"Well at least she's got a killer instinct. That's important, especially since she wants to kill her brother." He mutters.

Not that he could blame her. Suigetsu just liked killing because he was good at it. It was fun, but Suki was in a completely different league.

As far as he could tell, she didn't necessarily like killing. She just felt like she HAD to kill this one person in particular to avenge her family. If she had to kill others along the way, she might be willing to do that. Despite that, Suigetsu was almost positive that she would avoid such things, if she could.

"I guess that it doesn't really matter. Once I get that sword, I'm gone. The ice princess can do whatever she likes, after that. It's none of my business." He says to himself.

He wasn't really sure why he felt like he had to say that. Suigetsu frowns as a familiar feeling grew in his stomach. Unease. Unease because he was lying. He had always hated lying.

Suigetsu could do it. Most ninjas could, if they really had to. While he was capable of it, he'd get this funny feeling in his stomach whenever he did it. The fact that he was getting that feeling now wasn't a good sign.

"Damn it." Suigetsu says as he realizes that he was lying to himself, he did care what happened to Suki after he got the Samehada. (He just wasn't sure what he was going to do about that fact yet or why he cared in the first place).


	3. He's Taken

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Taka continues on their quest to find Itachi. Suki and Suigetsu continue to grow closer as Taka discusses their future and both of them struggle with their emerging feelings for each other. Itachi is on the move.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's Note: Thanks for the reviews. I hope you all enjoy this chapter.
> 
> Chapter Notation: This is the jealousy chapter. It also references reincarnation. This is not intended to endorse any religious views or the lack of them. It is purely for the sake of the story.

A few days later and Suigetsu could tell that a certain Uchiha Princess was getting frustrated. Very frustrated. She didn't say so much in words, but there was a certain aggressiveness in her walk and her eyes were constantly on high alert.

Her Sharingan wasn't activated, but he doubted that she would have missed anything. The woman was coiled tighter than a Cobra. He idly found that ironic considering that she had a Summoning Contract with snakes.

"Look Princess, it's a big world out there. It's going to take us awhile to find him. In the meantime, don't stress yourself out. You do want to be at the top of your game, when you fight him." He says.

"Suigetsu, what are you talking about? Suki is fine." Karin demands.

Jugo just shakes his head. He knew what was coming. Apparently, so did Suki judging by the fact that she had just rolled her eyes. Karin and Suigetsu were just like oil and water. They didn't mix well.

"Are you a complete idiot?! Do you not see how twitchy she is? She's totally freaking out on the inside. She just does that silent brooding thing. Actually, maybe you should take a page out of her book. It'd be nice if you would shut up for five minutes!" The violet eyed man snaps.

Suki blinks as it dawned on her that Suigetsu might actually be genuinely worried about her. She pushes that thought to the side for now though. Right now, she had to keep two of her teammates from killing each other. The last Uchiha could figure out the rest later.

"She would tell us, if something was wrong! Oh and since when do you care about anything besides those stupid swords?" The other ninja demands.

"When exactly was she supposed to tell you anything? You never stop shrieking! You're a damn banshee!" The white haired man growls at her.

Jugo just shakes his head and rubs his temples. They were so loud. If they kept this up, he was going to black out and lose control. He couldn't let that happen. Clearly, he was going to have to step in here.

"Suigetsu, Karin, stop it. We should be focused on finding Itachi or at least plan our next move. My birds have told me that there are some ANBU about three miles southeast of here. We don't have time for bickering." Jugo says.

That seems to snap Suigetsu and Karin out of their fight. Suki's eyes narrow. There were days when she wished she had a Byakugan instead of a Sharingan. It would have been useful for detecting trackers.

"How fast are they moving and in what direction?" The raven haired woman asks the gentle giant.

"Steady pace. They are heading our way. I don't think that they realize we are here though. They'll likely be here within the half hour. We need to go." The former prisoner says.

"It's a long journey, but we have enough supplies to get there. The terrain is tough, meaning that they won't follow us. If the ANBU truly haven't realized how close they are, there's no reason why they would head into the middle of nowhere. My family has a fortress. An old one. It was forgotten during one of the Great Ninja Wars. There is a caretaker family there though. They could give us more supplies and a place to rest." Suki says.

The other members of Taka nod in agreement and Suki starts off. She was the only one who knew where they were going. So it made sense for her to lead.

That wasn't what upset Suigetsu. For some reason, the fact that Jugo had been the one to notice the ANBU bugged him. It was annoying really. Jugo in his own strange way was just as obsessed with the last Uchiha as Karin.

"How far away is it?" Karin asks.

"We won't get there today. It's about a day and a half from here, even if we went as fast as were able." Suki says with a sigh.

Karin thought that Suki's chakra was cool and wanted a new home. That he got. It was just Karin being what Suigetsu called a groupie. That wasn't anything that really bothered him. It was annoying, but could easily be overlooked.

Jugo was different though. He had a valid reason to be so fixated on Suki. For some reason, she was able to tame him when he went into a rage. That might develop into a real and genuine affection. He didn't know why, but that really bugged him.

"Well then I guess we better get going. Those ANBU are on our tail. It doesn't matter that they don't know that yet. They will figure it out soon enough." The sword lover reasons.

"You're right." Suki says and with that, she flits off at near maximum speed.

The mostly gentle giant depended on Suki. That could turn into love. Suki might like the fact that he needed her. That and while Suigetsu was far from a small person, Jugo was a giant.

Jugo probably had a good foot on him. He likely had about a foot in a half on Suki. Did Suki have a thing for giants?

"Nevermind. It shouldn't bother me." He mutters under his breath.

He was not jealous of the orange haired ninja. He had no reason to be. Suki had never shown any romantic interest in the man and it wasn't like he was into her that way.

* * *

A few hours later, they came upon a farm. Suigetsu took a small pouch of money from Suki and heads towards the main house. They were all hoping to buy a safe place to stay for the night.

"After all, it seems unlikely that ANBU are going to be searching farms." He mutters to himself.

He figures the direct approach was best and knocks on the door. After a minute or so, someone opens it. A pretty brunette with chocolate brown eyes and long brown hair.

"Who are you?" She asks in confusion, but smiles nonetheless.

"I'm Naruto. My friends and I are on a mission for the Leaf Village. We need a place to stay for the night. We're willing to pay to use your barn." He says as he shows her the pouch of gold.

"Well I won't lie. We could definitely use the money and if it's only one night, I don't see the harm. Besides, you are cute." She says as she takes the pouch.

Unbeknownst to them, Suki had followed Suigetsu. She had heard every word the farm girl said. To say the least, the last Uchiha was not pleased by it.

They had a mission to perform. Taka simply didn't have the time to allow Suigetsu to flirt. She had to kill Itachi and he wanted his sword. That and honestly, she was as civilian. Was she out of her mind flirting with a ninja?

"Yes, he is cute. He's also taken." Suki says as she flits over to them.

It wasn't as if there was any rule against ninjas and civilians marrying. Most civilians weren't foolish enough to marry ninjas though. Civilians were generally smart enough to know that most ninjas would never live long enough to see their thirtieth birthday. With that in mind, such unions were tempting fact.

Most ninjas were intelligent to realize that even becoming involved with another ninja was no guarantee that their partner would survive that many years. Still other ninjas understood their lifestyle. They understood the risks they were taking and usually didn't mind that their lover would likely be gone, most often than not.

"Oh. I'm sorry. I didn't now. Well you two look very cute together, Naruto. I'm sorry. I didn't catch your name?" The young woman asks.

"Sakura." Suki lies seamlessly.

She knew what "Naruto" must have done. Suigetsu had figured out that giving their names was a bad idea. He had likely latched onto the first name that popped into his head. Well the first name that wasn't the name of a Sound Ninja anyway.

"Sakura it is then. Well I'll tell my father that you're staying in the barn. I really am sorry. I didn't realize he already had someone." She says as she darts inside the house.

Suki feels herself smirk slightly. Good. She knew not to mess with a ninja's boyfriend. Well Suigetsu wasn't her boyfriend, but it was really the principle of the matter.

With that satisfying thought in mind, she turns to head back to the barn. Unfortunately, that didn't work out the way that she planned. Suigetsu grabs her by the hand and pulls her back towards him.

"Alright, Princess. What the Hell was that all about?" Suigetsu demands.

"She was flirting with you." Suki states plainly as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

"She called me cute. It's not like the girl was proposing. Why do you care, if she was flirting with me or not?" Suigetsu asks.

Suki really wished that he hadn't asked her that. She knew that she shouldn't care. Not really. The only reason she should be upset was because it might jeopardize the mission.

She might not NEED Suigetsu to take down Itachi, but his abilities were certainly useful. If he ended up falling in love with some civilian and parted ways with their team, that would be bad. Sadly, she knew that wasn't the only reason.

"We're on a mission, Suigetsu. We don't have time for dating. I have to kill Itachi and you still want Kisame's sword. Unless you suddenly changed your mind about that. Do you no longer want the Samehada?" Suki asks a little too sweetly.

The violet eyed ninja actually felt himself wince at that tone. He hadn't known the other ninja very long, but he knew one thing about her. Suki Uchiha didn't do sweet.

That wasn't a polite question. THAT was nothing short of a threat. Both of them knew it too. The only thing that he needed to figure out was how to respond to a very angry Uchiha.

"Of course, I still want it. What I don't get is why you are so mad. Yeah. I get that you're worried that I'll ride off into the sunset instead of helping you kill your brother. That still doesn't explain why you are puffing up and hissing like an angry housecat!" Suigetsu growls at her.

He didn't really know why she was so mad. The only logical conclusion was jealousy. That couldn't be it, could it? Was Suki actually jealous of some nameless farmer's daughter?

"I'm not mad!" She yells at him.

Oh yeah. She was furious. Suki rarely yelled. She was more of a seether than a yeller. Suigetsu wasn't even sure seether was a real word, but Suki was still a seether.

"Oh yeah. You're totally not mad. That's why the girl ran back into her house in terror." He says.

"I'm annoyed. I'm not mad. There is a big difference." She scoffs at him and crosses her arms.

Crossing arms was a bad sign. Suki had moved beyond mad and was now entering into the Fury Stage. He had never really seen the Fury Stage from the Uchiha before, but he assumed it would involved some Chidoris.

"Whatever you say, Princess." Suigetsu says with a smirk as he heads back to the barn.

He wanted to accuse her of jealousy. At the same time though, he wasn't really willing to face a fight to the death for the privilege of doing so. Maybe she was jealous. Maybe, she was just really wound up about Itachi. It was hard to say for sure.

Suigetsu did know one thing though. In this particular instance, he had got the upper hand. That made him feel smug.

* * *

Meanwhile Itachi felt better than he had in awhile. The treatments had stabilized him. He knew that it was a stopgap measure though. He was going to need months of intensive care, if he really wanted to fully recover.

"How are you feeling, my love?" Mei asks.

He wasn't sure that he had months though. His foolish little sister was on the move. She had killed Orochimaru, but she still had the Leaf after her. He wasn't going to let her live the life of a wanted fugitive for a second longer than she had to though.

Those words snapped him out of his internal musings. Itachi sends Mei the most charming smile that he could manage and briefly kisses her. It was truly no hardship to be with her. Part of him wished that things were different, but he had to pay for his crimes and he would.

"I am feeling much better and it's all thanks to your tender, love, and care. I will forever be in your debt. I do not know how much longer I would have survived without your help." He admits truthfully.

Forever wasn't going to last very long, but that was besides the point. Perhaps in the next life, he would be able to repay her somehow. Itachi wasn't really sure if he believed in reincarnation, but lately he had been pondering the matter more and more.

If reincarnation existed, he did hope that he would meet her again. He might not remember her, but he liked to think that his soul would. It didn't matter that it would likely only be on a subconscious level. It would be something.

"I'm glad that you are feeling better." Mei says with a smile.

It was such a sincere smile. Itachi was almost certain that the woman meant it when she called him **_my love_**. Unfortunately, she was in love with a lie. Not him. Not really.

"I am. With that in mind, I should be going. Suki Uchiha is likely going to be on the move. I have to find her." He says.

Mei frowns. She didn't like the sounds of that. Dai must have been out of his mind. He was still recovering from a serious illness. It would take months of care for him to truly recover.

At the moment, he was stable. She was so relieved about that fact. He was certainly a fighter. Almost anyone else would have been dead already. His disease was so advanced that it was a miracle he had even lived long enough to reach her village in the first place.

"Dai, you can't go. You know as well as I do that your body needs more time to recover. What good is finding her going to do, if you can't bring her back to the village because you're dead?" She whispers.

That was a good point. Itachi knew that was a good point. Sadly, he couldn't tell Mei the truth. He couldn't tell her that that was the goal.

"I have a mission to complete and that's what I'm going to do. I'm certain as a Kage you understand about duty. I need to do this. I'm sorry. I do not believe that you will ever truly understand how much I wish that things were different." Itachi says as he kisses her cheek.

Mei sighs. She had finally found someone and he was likely rushing straight off to his death. This was right.

"I'll go with you. I doubt that Suki can stand against a Kage. She's powerful, but she's no match for me." She reasons.

"I can't allow you to do that. You're people need you. Besides, do not underestimate her. She did defeat Orochimaru." Itachi says as he gets up and begins packing.

"I'll respect your wishes then. Please come back to me." The female Kage pleads with him.

Itachi sighs and kisses her forehead. Maybe, someday he would. He certainly wasn't going to in this life though.

"I'll do my best. For now though, I have to go." He says.

Mei glances at him mournfully. He wasn't going to make it back. She didn't doubt Dai's abilities, but he was clearly a very sick man. He wouldn't win this fight.

"Very well then. I wish you a safe journey. I'm afraid that I have other matters to attend to." Mei informs him.

"Of course. Thank you, for everything. I mean it." Itachi murmurs softly.

* * *

A short while later, Taka was in their barn and making due with the traveling rations that they had brought. Not the most delicious food, but it was nutritious. That and it would last a long time.

"So Karin what are you going to do now that you aren't in charge of locking people up anymore? I mean Suki says she's going to take you back to the Leaf with her." Suigetsu says as he stuffs another piece of jerky into his mouth.

"I don't know. I mean I guess I could become a medic or maybe a tracker. I just want an actual home. The prison was better than most other places that I've lived,, but it wasn't a home." She says.

Suki actually winces at that. Karin really did just want a home. Suki wanted that as well, but where was home?

Surely, not the Sound Village. That was definitely not home. The barn wasn't either. The open road held no real appeal to her other than helping her to find Itachi. Was the Leaf really home though?

"I'm sure you would make a good medic." Suki says as she bites into her own meal.

It wasn't really much of a home. Team Seven might care about her. Before she became a criminal ninja, she had been the most popular girl in the Academy. That meant nothing though.

Those boys mostly liked her because she was "pretty" or for her bloodline. They knew nothing about her. Their crushes were superficial and more of an annoyance than anything else.

"Thanks." Karin says with a smile and Suigetsu decides to lighten the mood by asking Jugo the same question.

"I haven't really thought about it much. Suki is the only person who can control my rages. So I'll likely try to join the Leaf, if they allow it. That or I'll travel. Maybe I'll find another prison that can hold me." He says.

Suki frowns. She didn't like hearing that. Roughly 90% of the time, Jugo was kind and polite. He was not threat to anyone. It was the other ten percent that made him very dangerous.

At least 2/3rds of Taka could theoretically join the Leaf easily. If Jugo could get control of himself, she didn't see a reason why he couldn't join the Leaf. Karin also would likely fit in just fine. Suigetsu was more of a wild card though.

"I'd like that, Jugo. What about you, Suigetsu? Have you thought about what you want to do after you get the swords?" She asks curiously.

Suigetsu pauses as he considers that question. Honestly, he hadn't really. He just knew that he really wanted those swords.

"I'm not sure. I guess I'll just do whatever seems like a good idea at the time." He admits.

Suki snorts in amusement. Suigetsu had a goal, but only one. After that, he was apparently content to just go with the flow. She supposed in a way that made sense. His family was closely associated with water after all.

"Good to know. Well it's late. We should all get some sleep. We've got a long trek to the fortress tomorrow. So it would be wise to get an early start." She says as she lays down on some hay.

It wasn't very comfortable, but she had certainly slept on worse. She was now one step closer towards her goal. Once they got those supplies, that would certainly make things much easier.

The other members of Taka do the same. Surprisingly, it didn't take long for most of them to fall asleep. The only exception was Suki. That was mostly because she was watching Suigetsu.

"He looks surprisingly harmless when he's asleep." She notes in amusement.

She knew in reality that he was anything but. Orochimaru wouldn't have put him in that tank, if he was like Karin. If Suigetsu was content to follow orders like a good minion, there would have been any need to lock him up.

She smiles and brushes some bangs from his face. His hair was exactly like snow. Suki was a little surprised at how silky it was though. He didn't strike her as the type of guy that spent much time on his hair.

"Maybe it's just naturally that way." She muses.

He wasn't as big as Jugo when it came to height or muscle size. Still Suigetsu was definitely bigger than Naruto. He was probably bigger than all of the members of the Rookie Nine, save for Choji. She didn't really count that though. His Clan was just naturally larger framed.

She had been jealous and that disturbed her. It was one thing to think he was cute. It was another to actually develop feelings for him.

Suki couldn't afford that. Feelings were a distraction. Distractions were far too dangerous when you were going up against someone like Itachi Uchiha. He was a Clan Slayer.

"If he found out that I was even attracted to someone, he'd kill them. He kills everyone that I love. Well except Team Seven, but that was likely only because he wanted me to get stronger to fight him." She whispers in a choked voice as she remembered that horrible night, once more.

_"Why?! Why?! Why, did you do this?!" She screamed at him._

_"To test my strength." Itachi told her in a monotone voice that betrayed no emotion._

_"To test your strength?! That was the reason?! That was the reason why you killed them all?! Have you completely lost your mind?! That's why you murdered our family?!" She screamed at him as she lunged at her elder brother._

_She didn't get far though. Itachi put her in some strange place. A black and red world. One that he controlled. One that made her believe that Hell actually existed._

_"You're pathetic. Not even worth fighting. You might be one day though. After your hatred has made you stronger, you might not be so weak. You might even be worth my time." He said, after he left her._

He left her all alone. When she woke the next morning and overheard the nurses talking, she knew the truth. Her family was dead and they weren't coming back. She was alone. Suki was always alone in one fashion or another.

She hadn't even noticed when silent tears started sliding down her cheeks. It didn't take long for the silent tears to become quiet sobs. Apparently, they were loud enough to wake Suigetsu.

Suigetsu woke up and saw a crying Suki only inches away from him. The criminal frowns. Yeah. That wasn't normal. He was used to seeing Suki completely in control or at least annoyed. Sadness wasn't something she showed much.

"Hey, what's wrong?" He whispers.

Suki didn't answer him though. It didn't take a genius to realize why. She was likely lost in her own world. More specifically, she was probably having a flashback. Whether it was of the Massacre or of some freaky stuff that undoubtedly went on while she was in the Sound, didn't really matter. It was bad.

"Hey, it's alright." He tells her and wraps his arms around the crying woman.

Suigetsu knew it was bad, but the fact that she actually leaned into his embrace was scary. Suki never did stuff like that. She was hurting in a very big way.

Suki sighs and leans into him. She had lost herself to the memory. That's' when she smelled the ocean and blinks. Why did she smell the ocean? The ocean wasn't anywhere near her District or the Leaf. That snapped her out of it.

"What happened?" She asks in confusion, noting that she was currently wrapped in Suigetsu's arms.

"You had a nightmare or a flashback, I guess. Must have been a nasty one. It's okay. I'm not going to tell anyone." He promises.

Against her better judgment, she believed him. Suki smmiles and leans into his embrace more. It was nice. He was warm and the biceps were nice to look at. She honestly didn't know what Karin was going on about with his chakra odor. He smelled nice to her.

"Good. If you did, I would kill you." She tells him.

"I wouldn't have it any other way, Princess." He says with a smirk.


	4. A Good Cuddle

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's amazing how far a good cuddle goes.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's Note: Thanks for the reviews. I hope you all enjoy this chapter.
> 
> Chapter Notation: Suigetsu Flashbacks aren't cannon. Neither is Suki's in this chapter. They are just something that I added to further humanize them.

Suki wasn't sure why she was still allowing Suigetsu to hold her. The youngest Uchiha decides it must be a combination of exhaustion, the fact that he smelled nice, and it felt good. It felt good to have someone comfort her.

She smiles in amusement as she buries her face in the crook of his neck. A few days ago, she would have thought that entire notion was crazy. Suigetsu was a Prodigy in the Art of Murder. He didn't comfort people and yet, here he was doing exactly that.

"You wanna talk about it?" He asks and Suki shakes her head.

"No. Talking doesn't help. This helps though." The raven haired woman replies.

Suigetsu honestly didn't know what to really make of the situation. Suki was had actually been crying. The woman who had easily stopped Jugo's rages like it was nothing, was crying. That was just unsettling.

Not that he ever really wanted to see women cry. He could kill people without blinking, but seeing a woman cry was something else entirely. Suigetsu wasn't really sure why that was the case. It just was.

"Who would have thought that all the Ice Princess needed was a good cuddle?" He asks with a smirk.

The sword lover knew what he was good at and he knew what he wasn't good at. Suigetsu was excellent at fighting. He was a damn good swordsmen, but the violet eyed man just wasn't good at this comforting thing. Maybe, he could deflect with humor.

An annoyed Suki was better than a sad Suki. He really didn't like seeing those dark eyes of her well up with tears. There was something hypnotic about the way those obsidian orbs contrasted against her ivory skin and were framed by long lashes.

"You're such an idiot." She mutters, but she doesn't make any move to leave his embrace.

He'd never really given much thought to eyelashes before. Suki's were very nice though. Those were definitely come hither eyelashes. It would be nice to see them attached to an expression besides indifference, anger, annoyance, pride, or sadness though. Oh well. Maybe it would happen one day.

"And you're the one still cuddled up to the idiot. So what does that make you?" He retorts.

"That's actually a good point. I guess it makes me an even bigger idiot." She sighs as she burrows against him further.

Suigetsu wasn't protesting. He was still being well Suigetsu. Of course he was going to make stupid comments. At least they allowed her to focus on anything else, but the source of her problems. That was what she really needed.

"Oh that's really nice." He says as he rolls his eyes and lays down, pulling her with him.

Suki wasn't proud of it, but she squeaked. She couldn't believe that she actually squeaked. It wasn't that she was scared. The young woman just hadn't expected it.

"Suigetsu, what the Hell?!" She demands in outrage.

"If we're going to find Itachi and Kisame, we need to be in top form. That means getting some rest. Go to sleep, Princess." He says with a yawn.

Suki blinks when she saw his teeth. Those were **_sharp_** were they naturally that way or had he sharpened them? Either way, they were kinda intimidating and cute at the same time.

"What are you staring at?" He asks in confusion.

"Your teeth are really sharp. Are they naturally that way?" She asks.

"Well no. It's a tradition. The Seven Swordsmen of the Mist usually sharpen our teeth. Are your breasts naturally that size?" He asks.

**_SMACK!_** She couldn't believe that he had actually asked that! Nevermind. On second thought, this was Suigetsu! Being outrageous was apparently his default state of being.

"Owe! Alright! Alright! I was just kidding! Sheesh! I know they're natural. They jiggle!" He says.

"You're downgraded from an idiot to a pervert." She mutters in disgust.

"No more than any other guy, really. I mean we're going to notice stuff like that. I mean I know that things are different in the Leaf Village than in the Mist, but come on. Some things are universal. Guys are going to look." He says with a shrug.

Suki rolls her eyes. She didn't really know. She'd left the Leaf when she was a Genin. The boys her age hadn't really left the "You're Cute" stage. Some of them hadn't even made it that far. She couldn't for the life of her imagine Naruto checking to see if a girl "jiggled" or not.

"Uh huh. Did you check Karin as well?" She snorts in disdain.

"What? No! Of course not! What's there to check? The woman is flat as a board! Plus she's a freaking banshee! She's so loud!" Suigetsu protests.

"You're not exactly quiet either." Suki observes as she sighs and lays down again.

Suigetsu was right. She did need her sleep. Defeating Itachi wasn't going to be easy. Before they could even find him, it was likely going to take awhile. Taka needed to be ready to fight at a moment's notice. For that, they needed to be well rested.

"I'm quieter than her though!" He protests.

"Mmm sometimes." She concedes as she closes her eyes and soon falls asleep.

Suigetsu smiles. Well he had wound her up pretty damn good really. He knew that the jiggle comment would get her going. Embarrassment or annoyance were better than sadness. That and it was just fun to watch her get all indigent.

"Mission accomplished. I could have lived without the slap though." He mutters as he nurses his rapidly swelling cheek.

* * *

The next morning, Karin wakes up early. She was greeted by the strangest sight that she had ever seen. Suki was curled up against Suigetsu in a way that was usually only reserved for lovers.

The youngest Uchiha and sword lover were still both fast asleep. Suki looked completely peaceful and was practically burrowing into the annoying ninja. Suigetsu for his part seemed quite happy to return the favor and had his arms wrapped around her protectively.

"No way." She whispers to herself as she observes the truly bizarre scene.

She wasn't sure if she should be upset or not. Had they done that on purpose? Had Suigetsu decided to steal some sleep cuddles in while Suki didn't notice? What the Hell was going on here?!

"Don't wake them. We could all do with the sleep." She hears someone whisper to her and then squirms when a large hand was placed over her mouth.

It was Jugo. Jugo must have woken up early as well. This was the most bizarre day that she'd had in awhile. Suki was snuggled up next to the idiot and Jugo was telling her not to say anything!

Jugo shakes his head in exasperation. The last thing that they needed was to embarrass Suigetsu and Suki. If he hadn't covered Karin's mouth, she would have made a scene.

She would have made a very big and loud scene. From there, it was a short trip to Chidoris and sword swinging. They were teammates. Taka members shouldn't fight each other.

"It doesn't matter." He tells her.

Karin looks at him incredulously. He couldn't possibly be serious. How could Jugo think Suki and Suigetsu dating, didn't matter?! Was he out of his mind?!

Maybe, he had been locked away in that cell for too long. It might have gotten to him. That could have messed with anyone's head. He was basically in solitary confinement for awhile and that was a form of torture.

"If I move my hand, are you going to make a big deal out of this?" He whispers.

She shakes her head. Karin knew that if she didn't, the gentle giant wasn't going to let her go. Since she wanted to be able to talk, it was best to feign submissiveness.

"Good." The orange haired man replies with a smile as he releases Karin.

"SUKI! SUIGETSU! WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU TWO?!" Karin demands.

Jugo sighs. He probably shouldn't have let her go. Well there was one thing that he knew for certain. It was going to be a very long morning.

* * *

Meanwhile Itachi was traveling once again. He had decided to keep his disguise. Tobi knew of his plans. The rest of the Akatsuki didn't particularly matter to him, save for Kisame to a certain extent.

"I suppose that it's unavoidable. If you are partnered with someone long enough, you do grow to care about them." He muses.

He didn't love Kisame. Itachi wasn't even entirely certain if they were friends. He was a good fighter though and entertaining in his own bizarre way. Though half the time, he thought that the blue skinned man should seek counseling.

It really wasn't healthy to think more like a shark than a human half the time. Idly, he wonders if Kisame was born with blue skin and gills or if it was the result of a Jutsu gone wrong. For all he knew, the shark lover might have done it on purpose.

"I'll ensure that Suki gets my eyes. I'll plant an attack in the eye and that will keep Madara away from her." The ill ninja decides.

Tobi went by many names. Tobi was just his cover. Most of the time, he pretended to be Madara. In reality, he was a man named Obito Uchiha. Most people thought that Obito was dead, but he wasn't.

"I wonder what Kakashi would say, if he knew his old teammate was still alive and plotting chaos?" Itachi wonders to himself.

Itachi knew Kakashi. He knew them well. They had both been ANBU at the same time. He and the silver haired ninja had been on missions together. So he knew that the CopyCat Ninja was a more than competent ninja. That was why he couldn't help but be angry with him.

He knew it was irrational. Suki was clearly going to do what she wanted to do. Still he felt annoyed. Kakashi should have watched her more closely. He never should have allowed her to leave the Leaf.

"It's tempting to tell him the truth. That would keep Obito busy for awhile." The Uchiha says to himself as he continues exploring.

Itachi knew that he had only a limited amount of time to find Suki, before he would have to seek Kisame out. Obito would grow suspicious if he was away for too long. The man knew that he was seeking treatment. So that bought him some time.

It wasn't as though Obito had any way of really knowing how long he would need to be in the hospital for a full or semi full recovery. Itachi could use that to his advantage. He was going to that to his advantage by finding his foolish baby sister.

The least he could do was allow her to kill him. It might bring her some closure. The act would also certainly bring her back into the Leaf's good graces.

"After all, who could really blame her? I slaughtered our family for no reason in her eyes and in the eyes of the village. They certainly aren't going to mourn my passing. She's young. Impulsive. They might over look her deserting them to avenge our family." He mutters to himself as he takes out his canteen of water and drinks from it.

Now he just had to find her. Fortunately, he knew that she'd be looking for him. If he left signs, she'd follow. That was one good thing about his foolish little sister. Suki was extremely predictable.

"I suppose this disguise is useless for the moment." He says, undoing the Genjutsu.

It was something of a pity really. He had fond memories of his time as Dai. Sadly, playtime was over. It was time to pay for what he had done.

Itachi felt enormous guilt over what he had done, but that didn't change the fact that he did it. He had still killed many of his own kin. The fact that Obito had helped him to do it, didn't negate that. It just lessened his own body count somewhat.

"Now, where would she go? She's likely going to avoid the Fire Country and I think that it's safe to rule the Island Nations out. That leaves the Wind, Earth, Lightning, and Water. Considering she just killed Orochimaru not that long ago and the Sound is relatively close to the Leaf, it seems unlikely she'd be in the Water Nation. Earth, Wind, or Lightning then. Unless she's in one of the neutral territories." He says thoughtfully.

* * *

Back with Taka, Suki is awaken to the sounds of Karin screaming her head off. Maybe, Suigetsu had a point. She was a bit of a banshee. Owe.

"Karin, you had better have a good reason for screaming your head off." She hisses.

Suki had trained her body to wake almost instantly and to be ready at a moment's notice to fight. That didn't meant that she enjoyed being woken up though, especially not when she had been getting a goodnight's sleep for once. It was a rare day, when she didn't have nightmares.

Naturally, that meant that her teammate had to wake her up. It was really annoying. Suki was about two seconds away from strangling her.

"That creep was totally holding you while you slept!" She shrieks.

"What are you talking about?" Suki asks and that's when she notices something wrapped around her waist.

A pair of arms. Rather well sculpted arms at that. Arms that she recognized. Ohhh. Suigetsu really was still holding her.

"Will you stop screaming like it's the end of the world? We fell asleep and ended up laying next to each other. Stop making me try to look like Orochimaru or something." He grumbles.

"That's what happened. He's right. Whatever. Now that Karin hash woken us up, let's get moving. We have a long day of traveling up ahead. It's going to take us awhile to get to that fortress." Suki says as she stretches.

Suigetsu just rolls his eyes at Karin's antics. Honestly, he had slept next to Suki. It wasn't like he had made a real move on her. This was exactly why he didn't want to travel with the red head. She blew everything out of proportion.

"I had my birds scout the nearby areas. It doesn't look like the ANBU have followed us." He says.

"That's good. Let's move out then. We should be there by late afternoon or early evening." Suki says as the team heads off.

* * *

With that, the team heads off. Suigetsu shakes his head as he falls towards the back of the group. He knew things were probably going to be awkward with Suki now. If by some miracle they weren't, he still had to deal with Karin's dirty looks. No thanks.

He sighs as this brought back some rather disturbing memories. Mostly memories of the Sound. He was more than eager to put those behind him.

_"Now, now. Suigetsu, when are you going to learn to play nicely with others?" Orochimaru cooed at him._

_It was creepy. Suigetsu had always been creeped out by Orochimaru. .That was certainly saying something considering he was a Prodigy in the Art of Murder._

_"I don't care about playing nicely with others. I'm not here to make friends. I'm here to get stronger to get those swords." He told him._

_Orochimaru sighed and actually had the nerve to look disappointed. It was as if the snake freak thought that he was his father or something. Whatever. Orochimaru could have whatever fantasies he liked._

_It didn't matter. Suigetsu had his goal in mind. If Orochimaru could help him achieve it, great. He'd put up with his slimeyness. That didn't mean that he worshipped the ground that the man walked on._

_"Honestly, you would think that you would be more grateful. Orochimaru has ordered much research to be done on your behalf. We are truly beginning to unlock the secrets of your Clan's bloodline." Kabuto said as he pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose._

_At that moment, Suigetsu wanted to smash those glasses. On second thought, why not? He lunges at him and proceeds to throw the spectacles against the wall._

_"Well I can see that I can't trust you to play nicely with others. Sadly, you are of no use to me currently. Well other than your genetic material. I'm certain that the results of your blood work and the like will prove most illuminating." Orochimaru said._

_A clash ensued. Orochimaru came at him. It wasn't just Orochimaru though. Four Eyes helped. Before long, he must have been fighting at least a couple dozen Sound Ninjas._

_Suigetsu swung his sword around desperately. He dodged. He punched. It was no use though. There were too many of them. After awhile, everything went black. That's when he woke up in that damn tank!_

"Everyone be careful. We're far away from the Leaf now, but that doesn't mean that we're safe. Those people never give up." Suki warns her team.

"Let them send people after us. I'll make mincemeat out of them!" Suigetsu says cheerfully.

Suki shakes her head in amusement. Well it looked like Suigetsu was going to be Suigetsu. The night before hadn't changed their relationship.

Not that they had much of one to begin with. They were loosely teammates. That was it. He was only following her to get that stupid sword anyway. So why would he care that he caught her in a vulnerable moment?

"It's not like we're them." She mutters under her breath.

_"Mother, are you still sad about Aunt Mitszu?" Suki asked innocently as she entered the living room and saw her parents on the couch._

_Mikoto was sitting in Fugaku's laps. Her husband had draped his arms around her protectively. To Suki, they looked like one person at the time._

_"I'm still sad about her. I'll always be sad about her, but it's alright. I have you, Itachi, your father, and the rest of the Clan. She wouldn't want us to be sad and your father made me feel better." She said with a smile as she gestured for her daughter to join them._

_Mitszu had been Mikoto's sister. The woman had died in a mission. Suki was only three at the time. She didn't really understand the concept of death fully yet. She did understand that her mother had been crying the day before though._

_"How did he help you feel better?" Suki asked._

_"He held me. There are few things that can make you feel better faster than being held by someone who loves you." Mikoto said with a smile as she drew Suki into her arms and hugged her._

_"Oh. I'm glad you aren't as sad anymore, mother." Suki said as she snuggled into her hold._

_Her father was normally such a stern man. It did surprise her when Fugaku smiled at her statement. He briefly kissed the top of their heads and seemed content to just stay there for the moment._

"It's not like you're who?" Jugo asks.

The other mans words startled Suki out of her daydream. Damn. She really couldn't afford to let her guard down like that.

She was damn lucky that it was Jugo who had noticed and not an enemy ninja. What if it had been Itachi? What if it had been a Leaf Ninja? She really need to get her head out of the clouds.

"No one." She says as she flits off a little faster than the others.

"Looks like the Ice Princess wants us to kick up the pace. Think you can keep up, Karin?" Suigetsu asks with a smirk as he takes off after Suki.

"WHAT ARE YOU TRYING TO SAY?! I'm not nearly as lazy as you, Water Boy!" She growls at Suigetsu and with that, she chases off after them.

Jugo just shakes his head in amusement. One thing was for sure, his teammates certainly weren't boring. For the longest time, he had locked himself up in a cell and interacted with almost no one. Well except for Karin.

Now that was changing. Karin was definitely the most aggressive and loud woman that he'd ever met. She was also smart though. Suigetsu was rather mischievous and could be quite sadistic. Finally, there was Suki. His cage.

"I suppose one way or another, this is going to be interesting." He says, before following them.

* * *

Back in the Leaf Village, Tsunade was not a happy camper to say the least. Orochimaru was dead and that was a very good thing, but Suki Uchiha was still out there. She was still a wild card.

Not to mention, the brat was driving her crazy. She understood why he was upset. It was only natural. Suki was his teammate. The Hokage would have been doing the same thing in his position, but that didn't change the reality of the situation.

"Well brat, I'm going to organize a team." She says as she signs some more paperwork.

"A team?" Naruto asks in confusion, not sure where she was going with this.

"Yes, you are going to need a team. The team's mission will be to retrieve Suki Uchiha. Preferably, she will be brought back alive. I will give them permission to use deadly force, if they have to though. I won't allow her to kill them because I told them to hold back. She's dangerous, Naruto. The woman killed Orochimaru." The busty blonde warns him.

Naruto didn't know whether to jump up and down for joy or to frown. He was happy that they were sending a team out after Suki. The blonde wasn't so happy about them having permission to use deadly force though.

"I don't like the last part, but I understand. I don't think it will be necessary though. She's had chances to kill me before. Suki never has though. I think that she wants to come home. Some part of her wants to come home. Her hatred of Itachi is just clouding her judgment." He says.

Tsunade didn't doubt that Suki never would have left the Leaf, if the Massacre hadn't happened. Still that didn't change the truth. She was now a dangerous Criminal Ninja.

A Criminal Ninja who was capable of killing a Sannin. Granted, Orochimaru had been in a weakened state when she did it. It was still impressive and terrifying though.

"I am inclined to agree. It's important that everyone exercise caution though. If it comes down to her or your other comrades, I need to know that you'll make the right choice." The other ninja says.

"It won't come down to that! Granny Tsunade, have some faith in me! We can bring her back. We can do it without anyone getting hurt." Naruto promises her.

Despite the situation, Tsunade finds herself smiling. Naruto's eternal optimism was contagious. She didn't think that it was warranted, but it was still contagious.

"I hope you're right. I shall assemble the team. You will leave tomorrow, if all goes well." The Hokage says.


	5. The Fortress & Battle

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Taka takes temporary refuge in the Uchiha Fortress, but not for long. Soon enough, they have to battle with Leaf Ninjas intent on taking Suki back to the Leaf.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's Note: Thanks for the reviews. I hope that you all enjoy this chapter.

"This place really is in the middle of nowhere." Suigetsu whines, after they had been traveling for several hours.

"It wouldn't be a very good fortress, if our enemies had been able to reach it easily." Suki reasons as they head inside.

Suki suppresses as shiver, upon entering. The fortress was so cold and empty. It seemed more like crypt than anything until she heard a meow.

"Aren't you a pretty kitty? Yes, you are!" She hears Suigetsu ask the feline.

She shakes her head in amusement. Suigetsu had a soft spot for animals. That or at least he liked 'kitties.' Who knew? Oh well. She supposed she should warn him that he was likely about to get his arm chewed off.

"Suigetsu, that's a Ninja Cat. Don't touch them unless you want to be torn to ribbons." Suki states bluntly.

She couldn't quite cover her laugh as the violet eyed ninja jumps back several feet. Good. It looked like if nothing else, Suigetsu respected Ninja Cats. That meant that he wasn't suicidal.

Ninja Cats were in a different league than Ninja Dogs. Dogs were almost without question loyal. For a Ninja Cat to 'serve' anyone, that person had to prove themselves worthy first. Though only a complete fool would actually describe their relationship with a Ninja Cat as a master-servant relationship. The felines were a very proud group.

"Jeez! You should have warned me before I tried to pet it!" Her teammate grumbles.

Karin just laughs. She didn't even bother to stifle her laugh as Suki did. It was funny. Really, it was a bit of a shame that the other woman had warned him first. Karin would have liked to see Suigetsu get his ass handed to him by a cat.

"When would she have had time? You reached for the cat so quickly." Jugo points out.

"Hey! Who asked you?!" Suigetsu grumbles, feeling a little embarrassed.

Suki shakes her head and drops to her knee. After doing so, she takes out a small tube of something. It was catnip.

"Can you take us to the caretaker?" The raven haired woman asks softly.

"Ah it's good to see that manners haven't completely died out. I do love catnip!" Of course, we can. Follow us." The male ninja cat says.

With that being said, the two felines quickly dart off. Everyone on Taka was a formidable ninja in their own right, but it was a struggle not to lose sight of the Ninja Cats. They were that fast and that agile. Not to mention, it was fairly dark inside the fortress.

* * *

"Ah Suki. It's been years. My, how you've grown. You're a woman now." An elderly woman greets them, a few minutes later.

"Granny, we are in need of supplies." Suki says.

Suigetsu glances at the old woman and feels more than a little too freaked out. First of all, he had never thought that he'd hear Suki call anyone granny. Secondly, the woman actually was beginning to look like a cat herself. Maybe it was just an old people thing though.

"So it's true then. You're going after Itachi." " Suki's granny says.

That was the point when Suigetsu notices that the old woman wasn't alone. There was a girl about their age in the room with them and she was looking at Taka rather curiously. Suigetsu wasn't worried though.

If she was a threat, Suki would have already done or said something. He decides at that moment that she was probably 'Granny's' actual granddaughter or some relation. They were likely both in charge of keeping the fortress running.

"Yes, I am." Suki tells her as she flashes some money at the caretaker.

She had missed this place. It had been years since she had last visited it. After her family had died, Suki had been too young to make the journey on her own. As time passed, it just slipped her mind.

Now that she was finally going to make Itachi pay for what he had done though, it was the perfect place to get some supplies. Suki could only hope that Granny wouldn't ask too many questions. The same applied to her actual granddaughter as well.

"Such a shame. I remember the both of you when you were children. I can't believe that Itachi of all people would be capable of such despicable things. You were both such cute children. Take what you like though. It certainly looks like you have the means to pay for it." The cat lover replies.

"Thank you." Suki says with a smile as she looks around to see what might prove useful.

They would definitely need clothes. Food and medicine would also be important. Oh and water. Lots of water.

"Granny! I can't find anything to fit him!" The younger caretaker cries out.

"Go into the back. Try the largest size we have." Granny snaps at her.

"I already tried that. It doesn't fit him! Not even the XXXL!" She replies mournfully.

Suigetsu blinks. Yeah. Jugo was a big guy to put it mildly. He didn't miss the way that Suki and Karin were staring. Karin he didn't care about, but it unsettled him how much it bugged him that Suki was.

Of course, this was Suki. Just because she was looking, didn't necessarily mean the Uchiha woman was attracted to him. She just might be stunned at how big he was. Yeah. That must be it.

"Just give him the curtain then. It'll work." The elderly woman suggests.

"Granny! That's rude! They're paying us for clothes, not for curtains." She demands.

"It's alright. Look. It fits just fine." Jugo says with a smile as he wraps the purple curtain around himself.

Suki tilts her head to the side. Well whatever works. She shakes her head in amusement and continues taking an informal inventory of the supplies.

"Hey, Princess! I found something for you!" Suigetsu smirks.

The youngest Uchiha raises an eyebrow. She didn't know what the sword lover was planning, but she knew that she was probably going to end up smacking him for it. Suigetsu looked entirely too pleased with himself for any other outcome to be possible.

"What?" Suki inquires warily, not entirely certain that she even wanted to know what was going on in his head.

"This. I think that it'll look great on you." The violet eyed ninja tosses her a red silk lingerie set.

Suki catches it and looks down at what Suigetsu had thrown her. The female ninja feels herself twitch. Oh that was it. He was so dead.

"PERVERT!" She growls at him and with that, she proceeds to fire up a Chidori.

"Oh come on. Red is a very good color on you and silk is nice!" Suigetsu says as he slowly backs away from a now furious Uchiha.

"GET HIM, SUKI! HE DESERVES IT!" Karin cheers her on.

The grandmother shakes her head and sighs. Children. It didn't matter how many years had passed, some things would never change. One of them was that boys would tease the girl that they liked, it seemed.

* * *

Meanwhile the Suki Retrieval Team was preparing to head off. Naruto smiles as he realizes it was composed of most of the Rookie Nine. That and Lee's team.

"Don't worry, N-Naruto. We'll do out best to get her back." Hinata tells him.

"Thanks, Hinata. That means a lot. Be careful though guys. Suki is pretty strong now. This isn't going to be easy." The blonde warns them.

"Pft. I think that she's outnumbered. We can handle this!" Kiba says with a smile.

Naruto nods approvingly. He knew that they would save Suki somehow. The Leaf Ninja just wasn't sure how they were going to do that yet.

They would come up with something though. He knew it deep down in his heart. The Rookie Nine and Bushy Brow Sensei's team would find a way to do it! Believe it!

"Alright. Is everyone ready?" He calls out and there were affirmative answers.

Naruto takes a deep breath and they had off. They had to find Suki. He knew that she was going to go after Itachi. That meant that any Akatsuki sightings would prove enormously useful in tracking her down.

If they could find the Akatsuki, they could probably find Suki. It was just what they were going to do after they found her, that was the hard part. Naruto shakes his head as if to dispel those negative thoughts as he flits through the forest. He couldn't afford to think like that.

"Where are we going to start looking?" Sakura asks.

"I'm not sure really. Should we split up into teams or all stick together?" The blonde asks.

Shino sighs. He could see that this had been really well planned out. All their abilities complimented each other, but they had no idea where to begin searching.

"My insects can cover great distances. Hinata and Neji have the Byakugan. Their range is quite extensive. It would make sense to split into three, four person groups. Neji in the first. Hinata in the second. I can be in the third. The rest will divide up according to who they think that they can work best with." Shino reasons.

"YOU TALKED!" Naruto says and Shino twitches in response.

"You say that as though you thought I was mute." Shino grumbles.

Honestly, that was such a childish reaction. It annoyed him. Just because he wasn't babbling constantly, didn't mean he couldn't talk.

"Well I didn't think you were mute, but you are really quite. You're even more quiet than Hinata and Neji!" The blond exclaims.

This prompts Hinata to blush and Neji to shoot Naruto a rather vicious glare. Seeing the glare, made the young ninja gulp. Uh oh. Maybe, he shouldn't have said that. The Hyuga man had a bit of a temper sometimes.

"It's not the quantity of words that matter. It's the quality. Be that as it may, Shino has devised a suitable plan. Let's divide up into teams." Neji says.

"We should agree upon a meeting place and a specific time to get there. Separating is dangerous, but we will cover more ground that way." Shikamaru reasons.

The others murmur in agreement. It takes the better part of an hour, but eventually the teams are form and a meeting place is agreed upon. Naruto flits of with Sakura, Hinata, and Lee.

Now that he had his team, Naruto couldn't help but feel much more hopeful. They all had a plan now and a meeting place. With that in mind, the newly formed teams all took off in search of Suki Uchiha.

* * *

Elsewhere Itachi searches for his sister. Unfortunately, he wasn't having much luck. Where could she have gone?

It was fairly obvious that she wasn't in the Sound anymore. Why would she be? She had killed Orochimaru and he was the only reason why she had gone to that wretched village in the first place.

"It seems that my foolish little sister has gotten better at playing Hide and Seek over the years." He observes with a sigh.

Thanks to Mei's kindness, his illness had stabilized. He also had plenty of medication on hand. If need be, he was reasonably confident that he could survive for a year before he would need more treatments.

Itachi did hope that it wouldn't come to that though. If he had his way, he'd be dead long before then. Suki could kill him and then finally achieve the peace that she so desperately needed.

"It really isn't fair. None of this was her fault. Yet, she is the one who suffered the most." The elder Uchiha sibling says to himself.

Well at least he thought that he was speaking to himself. That's when another presence made himself known. An all too familiar one. Obito. Damn it.

"You know there is another way." The other Uchiha says as he approaches Itachi.

"I'm aware of your plans. I do not condone them. We once worked together to prevent a war. I will not see you destroy the world, just so you can craft an illusion of a better one." Itachi hisses at him.

"I don't see why you would be protective of this one. What has it ever done for you? All it has done is taken away your family and caused you pain. You're a hero. Without you, tens of thousands of people would have died. I doubt that it's much of a stretch to say hundreds of thousands really and what do you get in return for your sacrifices? Nothing, but hatred." Obito observes.

Itachi shakes his head. The rest of the world's opinion mattered little to him. What mattered was giving Suki a sense of closure and finally being able to achieve peace.

He wouldn't settle for the false peace that Obito was offering though. No. Itachi had long ago chosen his path and while it was an unpleasant one, it was also the right one. There were no shortcuts to redemption.

"I don't care about my reputation. Friends and adoration from strangers was never something that I required, nor wanted. That was your desire. It was never mine." The younger Uchiha seethes at him.

"Perhaps it wasn't your primary goal, but do not lie to me. It is human nature to want acceptance." Madara's imposter states plainly.

"That much is certain, but the only person's acceptance that I care about is hers. I will not allow you to interfere with my sister. I won't allow you to enslave everyone to their fantasies. The real world is a painful place, but it is only through suffering that we learn to appreciate happiness." The young man counters.

Obito raises an eyebrow. Itachi was going to be difficult. He could already see that. Well in the end, it wouldn't matter.

The man was clearly rush towards his own demise. It was such a waste of talent. Such a waste of a life, but it was Itachi's choice in the end.

"Very well. I suppose that we have nothing further to discuss here." Obito says and with that, he flickers off.

"Damn him." Itachi curses under his breath.

* * *

A few days later, Taka was on the move again. They were searching far and wide for any Akatsuki sightings. Most of the time Karin or Suki would ask the locals about the Akatsuki.

The female members of Taka were just better at that sort of thing. Jugo was fine most of the time, but he could fly into a murderous rage at any moment. So that ruled him out. As for Suigetsu, well manners had never been his strong suit. That meant that the task of gathering information largely fell to Suki and Karin.

"Another dead end." Suki says with a sigh.

"Don't worry, Princess. We'll find him. The man's partner looks like a freaking shark. They don't exactly blend in." Suigetsu says consolingly.

"Will you stop calling me Princess?! It's really annoying!" Suki snaps at him.

Oh boy. The Princess was about to lose it. He could see that coming from a mile away. He was likely going not have to resort to drastic measures soon. Suigetsu didn't want to have to fight dirty, but he would. If he had to, he would.

"I don't see why it would upset you. It's accurate. You're from a Noble Clan, after all." He taunts her.

"That just means that we had a bloodline! We weren't actually royalty!" She growls at him.

"Close enough, Princess. Deal with it!" The sword lover says with a smirk.

In some ways, Suki was completely stoic. In other ways though, the dark beauty was one of the easiest people in the world to rile up. She was truly a walking, talking contradiction.

"Guys! Stop it! We've got company heading our way." Karin warns them.

"Company? How many? How strong? How long before they get here?" Suki demands.

Karin pauses as she tries to focus on the chakra signatures. There were four of them. Powerful. They were also heading straight towards them. It wouldn't be long now.

"Four. All likely Jonin Level. They are heading towards us quickly. I don't think it's a coincidence. The Leaf must know that we are here somehow. We have to go or else we'll have to battle them in the middle of the street." The red head clarifies.

* * *

Suki nods and Taka soon takes off towards the empty fields on the outskirts of the small village that they had fond themselves in. This would be better. The youngest Uchiha felt a flash of pity for the farmers.

It wasn't there fault that they were about to face off against four Leaf Ninjas. Despite that, it would likely be their crops that suffered. That wasn't fair. Suki wasn't heartless.

She wanted Itachi dead more than anything, but that didn't mean that she enjoyed making innocent people suffer. Not that that was going to stop her from achieving her goal though. Itachi Uchiha would die by her hand, that much she was sure of.

"Suki!" She hears Naruto call out to her.

The Uchiha woman winces. Of all the Leaf's ninjas, it just had to be him. Obviously, someone up there really despised her. That was the only logical explanation to explain her absolutely abysmal luck.

"Naruto, go back to the Leaf. I don't have time to play with you right now." She hisses at him.

She hated being cruel to him. Suki knew that in his own naïve way, he was trying to help. She wasn't going home though. Not until Itachi was dead.

The young ninja just couldn't understand why that fact was so difficult for the blonde to understand. It was really that simple. Once Itachi was dead, she would be more than happy to return home. Not until then though.

"Well that's good. We aren't playing. Suki, come home. I know that you want to make Itachi pay, but we can help you. You killed Orochimaru. You clearly don't want to be a Criminal Ninja." The blonde says.

"Didn't you hear her? She says that she doesn't want to go with you. So how about you back off?" Suigetsu growls at the Leaf Ninja.

Suki was jealous of the farm girl, but the woman had meant nothing to him. Naruto was a different story though. He had been the Princess's teammate. Clearly, there was a bond there.

That annoyed him. It annoyed him a lot. The sooner that Naruto left the better. On some level, Suigetsu realized that he was being irrational. He did, but he just didn't care at the moment.

"Stay out of this! This is none of your business!" The blonde snarls at him.

"Well I'm making it my business. What the Hell is the matter with you? No means no. Sheesh!" Suigetsu says as he withdraws his sword.

Sakura watches anxiously. She didn't like it. Suki wasn't making any moves to attack, but her teammate was.

"Suki, please. Just come home with us. Don't make this any harder on yourself than it has to be. We can find a way to deal with Itachi." The pink haired woman pleads.

"I'm sorry, Sakura. I can't that. Take Naruto and the rest of your team back to the Leaf. I don't want to have to hurt you, but I will. I'll slaughter anyone who gets in my way." The raven haired ninja replies as she activates her Sharingan.

Karin quickly darts off. She wasn't really much of a combat ninja. She could heal her teammates and sense chakra, but in actual combat she was average at best. She was a liability in a situation like this.

"Byakugan!" Hinata calls out as she stares at Suki.

Suki smirks. That was new. Since when did the Hyuga Princess have a backbone. Hmm. The Sharingan vs. the Byakugan. This could be fun.

"Hinata, don't be stupid. This isn't a fight that you can win and I think you know that." The other woman informs her.

"I won't give up. We're taking you home!" The bluenette replies.

"OH YEAH! WE'VE GOT A BATTLE! DIE! DIE!" Jugo cackles madly and Suki's eyes widen as Jugo forms an axe and goes charging at Sakura.

Suigetsu glances at Jugo. That was all the opening that Naruto needed. He charges at the sword lover with his Rasengan fully charged.

Suki's eyes widen in horror. Damn it! No! She slams Suigetsu into the ground, covering him with her body and screams in pain when the Jutsu collided with her back.

"Suki! Oh God! I'm sorry! I didn't mean for that to happen! I was aiming for him! I wasn't trying to kill him! I was just trying to knock him out or scare him off!" Naruto apologizes in a rush.

It was too late though. Jugo might be insane at the moment, but obviously he still viewed Suki was important to him. The homicidal giant lunges at Naruto.

The blonde barley had time to dodge, Jugo's attack before Suigetsu launched one of his own. He was so angry, that he didn't even think about swinging his sword. His fist just slams into Naruto's face.

"J-Jugo! S-Suigetsu! It's fine!" Suki says through gritted teeth as she tries not to choke on her own blood.

The ninja manages to stand, if only just. Her back was in agony. Suki was also almost certain that at least one of her ribs, probably several were broken. She needed Karin.

"Suki!" Karin calls out to the other ninja and rushes over to her.

"If she dies, it's YOUR fault. You need to learn to take no for an answer. She doesn't want to go back with you!" Suigetsu snarls at Naruto.

"Don't pretend that you care about her! You don't know anything about Suki! I'm her teammate! I'm her friend!" The blonde snaps at him.

Suigetsu's and Naruto's words barely register for Suki. The pain from the Rasengan was too great. That's when she looks down and realizes that the Rasengan had partially torn through her. It was a damn good thing that it hadn't been struck at full impact. She would have been torn in half.

If she had been just a second slower, it would have torn her in half. The angle that Naruto struck her at, had blunted the force somewhat though. With that in mind, the young ninja realizes that it was nothing short of a miracle that she was still alive.

"Suki! You need to bite me!" The red head calls out in a panic.

Suki wasn't sure where she found the strength to do it, but she manages to sink her teeth into Karin's neck. She still didn't fully understand how Karin's healing abilities worked, but that didn't really matter. What mattered was that they did.

"Thank you." She whispers as she struggles to stay conscious.

"Jugo! Take care of them! Karin, Jugo you know where to find us." Suigetsu says as he darts over to the women and scoops Suki up in his arms.

Suigetsu knew that Suki was barely conscious, when she didn't protest the action. That meant that it was bad. She had almost gotten herself killed because Suki had decided to protect him.

The least he could do now was get her away from the battle. Upon deciding that, he uses the Body Flicker Technique to carry the Uchiha Princess off to safety. Jugo and Karin would follow. He knew that they would.

"Damn it!" Naruto hisses as his team clash with Jugo and Karin.

The only way that they were going to find out where Suigetsu and Suki went was by forcing one of them to talk. Obviously, Karin would be easier. Not that it mattered.

Either of them would work. There was no way that he was going to give up on his best friend that easily! Believe it!


	6. Strutting Peacock

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Suigetsu tries to help Suki relax after her injury, but can't resist teasing her. Naruto's team is worried about Suki and Itachi is feeling overprotective.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's Note: Thanks for the reviews. I hope you all enjoy this chapter.
> 
> Chapter Notation: I am taking some liberties with how strong/weak Karin's healing abilities are to make the story flow more smoothly. My usage of her healing capabilities may or may not line up completely with cannon. This is after all, somewhat of an AU.

An hour later, Taka was inside a hotel suite that they had purchased. It was just cheaper to get one large suite than multiple rooms. At the moment, Suigetsu was every inch a member of Taka because he was watching the unconscious Uchiha like a hawk.

"She's going to be okay. She bit me. Suki's strong. She'll be alright." Karin says.

Suigetsu wasn't entirely certain if she said that to comfort him or to reassure herself. He suspected the latter. That banshee had never liked him. That was okay though. He didn't like her either!

"The Rasengan is a powerful attack. She's lucky that it didn't literally tear her in half. A few more inches would have killed her. Even with Karin's healing, she's likely going to be sore for awhile." Jugo reasons.

The sword lover feels himself twitch at that reasonable assessment. It wasn't that Jugo was wrong, but he didn't want to hear it. Sugietsu didn't want to hear about how close to death the Princess had really come.

"SHUT UP! DON'T TALK LIKE THAT!" He yells at the gentle giant.

As soon as the words left his mouth, he regretted them. Well maybe not the words, but Suigetsu regretted how loudly he had said them. Karin was openly gaping at him like a fish now and Jugo was staring at him. Damn it.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to make you worry." Jugo apologizes.

"I'm not worried about the Ice Princess! She's going to be fine! Sheesh! You two are both crazy." Suigetsu snaps at the gentle giant.

"You're a really bad liar." Suki says through gritted teeth.

Karin's healing abilities had sown up the worst of the damage. She was still in one piece. Suki doubted that she'd even have a scar from the encounter, but for now she was in a lot of pain.

"Suki! Thank goodness! You're okay!" Karin says, sighing in relief.

She didn't know what she would do without her. Jugo was alright most of the time, but he could fly into a homicidal rage in an instant. That and there was always Suigetsu.

Suigetsu was really annoying. Karin didn't understand why Suki put up with him. That and she really didn't understand why the Uchiha had let cuddle up to her like that. It wasn't like Suigetsu was her boyfriend or anything!

"Yeah. Thanks to all of you." Suki whispers.

It was a good thing that Jugo had distracted the Leaf Ninjas. Karin had healed her and Suigetsu had teleported her off. At that moment, Suki was more convinced than ever that she had chosen her team well.

The young Uchiha would be the first to admit that her team wasn't entirely mentally stable, but they were all skilled ninjas. They worked well as a unit. It didn't matter that Jugo was unstable. It didn't matter that Suigetsu and Karin fought like cats and dogs.

What mattered is that they worked well together in battle. For a ninjas, that was the most important factor in whether or not they were part of a successful team.

"I'm glad that you're okay." Jugo says with a smile.

"Yeah. Where would we be without our fearless Ice Princess to lead us off to battle and nearly get her pretty ass killed?" The violet eyed ninja inquires slyly.

**_SMACK!_** After Karin smacks the sword lover, she twitches. How dare he speak about Suki like that?! She had risked her life for him! The last thing the woman needed was to listen to his stupid remarks!

"OWE! What the Hell was that for?!" Suigetsu growls.

"That was for being a pervert. What are you doing looking at Suki like that?! When she gets better, I hope she Chidoris you or lets one of those Ninja Cats have a go at you!" The red head exclaims.

Suki sighs as she watches the confrontation. Alright, maybe it was a little annoying that Karin and Suigetsu were always fighting. She was still proud of her team though.

"Karin, you're being annoying. If you didn't save Suki, I would have kicked your ass by now." The Prodigy in the Art of Murder informs her as he takes another long sip out of his water canteen.

"WHAT DID YOU SAY TO ME?!" The red head demands.

Suki looks at Jugo rather helplessly. She didn't really want to have to get up and break up this fight, but she would if it was absolutely necessary. Hopefully, the gentle giant would notice Suki's silent plea though.

"Karin, Suigetsu. Stop it. Suki is still hurt and your fighting is not going to help her recover any faster. Besides, we're a team. We shouldn't be fighting each other. We should be focusing on our mission and finding Suigetsu his swords." Jugo says.

He had seen Suki's look. Jugo certainly understood that expression. It had been a cry for help. His Cage needed him and Jugo decided that he was going to help her.

Without Suki, he would fly into a blind rage at random. It was a rare ninja who could defeat him in battle at that point. Despite that, Suki could calm him with just one look from those otherworldly eyes of hers or one simple command. She was after all, the living embodiment of Kimimaro's will.

"Yeah! We should be focused on finding me my swords and killing Suki's brother. Good point. So shut up Karin!" Suigetsu says cheerfully and Suki groans.

That was the wrong thing to say. Karin lunges at the white haired ninja and the two start going round and round. Suddenly, Suki was almost positive that she was going to have a headache by the end of the night.

Determined to at least make it a minor one, she rises to her feet and walks over to her teammates. She quickly takes Suigetsu's arm in her own and drags him away from Karin. Jugo does likewise for the other female member of Taka.

"That's enough." She hisses at the violet eyed man.

"Look Ice Princess, you should be resting. That was a pretty serious hit that you took." Suigetsu actually chastises her as he picks her up, Bridal Style.

Suki looks at Suigetsu incredulously. Had he seriously just lectured her about not taking it easy enough? That was the pot calling the kettle black!

"I got up because the two of you were being annoying and put me down!" She scoffs.

"Oh I'll put you down, Princess. I'll put you down, alright." He says smugly as he proceeds to carry a rather flustered looking Suki to her bed.

* * *

Suki couldn't believe that he was actually carrying him around as if she was his wife or something! She feels her face burn with embarrassment and tries to hide her blush by burying it into the crook of his neck. She knew that she should have kicked his ass for this, but there was something kinda nice about it.

It was nice that he apparently cared enough to risk possible electrocution to ensure she recovered from her injuries. Really, this was probably the closest that the sword lover would ever get to sweet. Well and their earlier cuddling.

"That's better. Be a good Princess and try to get some sleep. I'm never going to get my sword, if you die before we even find them." He states with a smirk.

She rolls her eyes. Of course, he just had to go and ruin the moment by being well Suigetsu. She doubted that the man could take anything seriously for more than five minutes. Well outside of battle anyway.

"Yes, that would be such a travesty." Suki mutters.

"Yep. I'm glad that you understand that Princess. You have your head on straight. Get some sleep. I'll try to keep the Banshee from howling too much. We wouldn't want her to disturb your Beauty Sleep." He says cheerfully.

Suki mutters some rather unflattering things under her breath as the other ninja departs. Beauty Sleep? Really?

Maybe, Karin was right. Maybe, Suki should have let the Ninja Cats have a go at him. That might have taught him some manners or at least better puns!

* * *

Meanwhile Naruto was horrified. He couldn't believe that he had done that. He had almost killed Suki!

"Naruto, it wasn't your fault." Sakura tries to assure him.

The different teams had assembled at their agreed upon location. Everyone was still reeling from the latest development. This was particularly true in a certain blonde's case.

"I know that in my head, but it's Suki. She's my friend. I shouldn't have attacked her. Well I didn't really attack her. I meant to get the one with the sharp teeth, but she jumped between us. She took hit for him." Naruto says in a rush.

Sakura nods. She knew what Naruto was trying to say. Honestly, it did surprise her that Suki was apparently willing to put herself in harm's way for her new team. Did that mean that she saw them as true comrades?

The pink haired woman tries to suppress the unsettling feeling that was beginning to form in her gut at that musing. Jealousy. She was jealous of Suki's new team.

"It was an accident, Naruto. You didn't meant to hit her and she probably wouldn't hesitate to attack any of us. You have nothing to feel guilty about." The Leaf Ninja tries to assure him.

Suki had never really been that close to her. Sakura had idolized her, but the raven haired girl had preferred to be by herself. Naruto could get a reaction out of her though. Then again, it was almost impossible to ignore the blonde. He just had that kind of a personality.

"What a drag. I know it's hard, Naruto. She was your teammate and now she's not, but this isn't the Academy. You can't afford to go easy on her. If she comes at you, you need to be ready to defend yourself and your fellow comrades. We're trying to get her back, but right now she is the enemy. You need to start thinking about her that way." Shikamaru reminds him.

"I know that!" Naruto snaps at him.

The Uchiha had actually PICKED this team. She and Naruto had just happened to be assigned to the same team as Suki. She hadn't chosen them. That was probably why her bond with them might be stronger.

"We'll f-find a way to get her back." Hinata says.

"Yeah! We will!" Naruto says as he nods his head vigorously.

Ino sighs and nods her head. It was tough to accept, but right now Shikamaru was right. Suki was the enemy and they had to treat her that way, if they wanted to bring her home alive.

"I hope so. She was strong enough to kill Orochimaru. She's not the same girl that we used to know, Naruto. She's also traveling with S Class Criminals." The blonde woman points out.

"The Power of Youth is on our side! We'll rescue Friend Suki!" Lee says as he strikes a dramatic pose.

Tenten shakes her head and Neji smacks is forehead. Lee was an excellent friend and a good ninja. So most of the time, they were more than willing to overlook some of his eccentricities. Every once in awhile, something like this would happen though and they just had to endure it.

"Right. Well let's get going. Maybe, we can pick up a trail." Kiba says.

"That's a good point. They can't have gone far yet." Choji says and the canine lover nods in agreement.

With that the teams all recombine and head off. Considering Taka's formidable abilities, it was decided that they would all go as one massive team. This was such an intuitive understanding, that no one had to verbally voice this decision. They all just knew.

* * *

At that same time, Itachi had managed to track down his sister. She and her team were in a hotel suite. He was using a crow to spy on them by having it peek through the window.

What he saw was both amusing and a bit disturbing. Suigetsu had just finished laid Suki down on the bed. He had just done so after carrying his sister Bridal Style. His baby sister!

"He had better watch where his hands are going when he carries her." Itachi mutters under his breath.

Suki was now old enough to have a boyfriend. While she was a bit young for Clan Restoration, she was certainly old enough to have suitors. Had their Clan lived, Itachi was certain that Fugaku would have already hurled a fireball at the sword lover for taking far too many liberties with Suki.

Sadly, Itachi knew that he didn't really have a right to play the role of the overprotective big brother. He had committed genocide against his own Clan. Nothing would have justifiably enraged Suki more than him weighing in on her love life.

"Mmm." Suki says as she snuggles into her pillow.

Itachi frowns. His sister really should have sensed him. He was being as stealthy as possible, but one would think she would have noticed the crow on the window.

That could mean only one thing. She was exhausted or had recently suffered a serious injury. Actually, knowing Suki it was likely both.

"Her teammate does have the ability to heal people. She could have been at death's door recently and I would never be able to tell." The Akatski Member mutters to himself.

She was putting herself in harm's way because she was after him. Perhaps, he should reveal himself. Then Suki could defeat him. The young woman could finally know the peace that she was desperately seeking and his own suffering would be at an end.

Itachi sighs as he glances at her now sleeping face. She looked surprisingly peaceful. He didn't have the heart to wake her for the final battle between the two of them. Perhaps tomorrow, he decides. With that thought in mind, Itachi quickly left.

* * *

The next day, Suki wakes up. She was surprised when she was the first to rise that morning. The last female Uchiha tended to sleep in when given the option.

"Right. I'll just make myself some breakfast." She muses as she heads to the kitchen.

As she was preparing herself something suitable edible, Suki ends up dropping one of the plates. The raven haired woman didn't think anything of it, before bending down to pick it up. That's when she realized her mistake.

**_Agony._** Complete and utter agony. Suki growls as she stands up and waits for the throbbing pain to subside.

"Princess, what did I tell you about taking it easy?" Suigetsu asks as he walks inside the kitchen.

"Don't Princess me and it's really none of your business, if I choose to make myself breakfast." She grumbles.

He shakes his head. Suigetsu admired her determination. He really did, but the woman needed to learn what her limits were. Right now, she wasn't in any condition to be bending over while she was recovering.

"I'll get you breakfast. After that, I want to have a look at your back. It sounds like it's more painful than it should be." He says.

"Fine." She says with a sigh as she heads back to her room.

As much as she hated to admit it, Suigetsu was right. There was no way that she could fight like this. Itachi would slaughter her. She needed to get better first.

Suigetsu grabs a few things for breakfast and follows her. She was probably going to try to kill him for what he was about to do. That didn't matter though. It wasn't like that was going to stop him.

"Alright. So I got you an orange, apple, banana, and some other stuff. You should lay down on your stomach or sit up, so I can get a better look at your back. I'm not a medic, but I've seen enough crazy stuff at the Sound to know when some thing is wrong or how to make pain go away. Well at least for a little while." The violet eyed ninja explains.

"Thanks and go ahead. You can't possibly make it any worse." Suki admits as she sits up.

Suigetsu shakes his head. He was a bit surprised that she was willing to let him have a look at her back, but he wasn't going to argue. Really this was progress.

He slides her shirt up slightly. The sword lover slid it up just enough to see the bottom of her bra. Ah ha! So she had actually taken the red silk, after all!

Suigetsu smirks. He was right. The red really did flavor her ivory pale skin and the silk looked rather inviting. Oh wait. He was letting himself get distracted. He should probably focus before Suki noticed he was looking at her just a little too closely and decided to Chidori him.

"Gee. Thanks for the vote of confidence, Suki." He says as he glances over the creamy skin.

He didn't see any marks on her. Karin's Jutsu or whatever it was, must have worked. It was likely that Suki was just sore.

"You're welcome." She replies with a smirk.

That's when Suigetsu massages her back. It only took him about thirty seconds after that to start frowning. Damn. She was tense. He'd never felt anyone this tightly wound up.

Every muscle was tightly coiled. It was as if she was constantly ready to shift into battle mode. Her skin was wonderfully soft and warm. Silky really, but the muscles underneath were tense to say the least.

"Damn, Princess! You really need to learn how to chill. No wonder, you're in so much pain. Even before that idiot tore into you, you were probably pretty close to screwing up your back." Suigetsu observes.

"Yes, he's an idiot. As for the condition of my back, whatever. Just don't stop. That feels…good." She admits as she sighs in bliss.

Suki wasn't sure if it was because Suigetsu was doing it and really good with his hands or if it would have felt this way if anyone did it. Maybe, it was a combination of both. She hadn't truly relaxed in years. That was bound to have an impact on her body at some point.

"Yeah. About Boy Wonder, he's pretty obsessed with you." Suigetsu says as he continues the massage.

"Mmm yeah. It's Naruto though. He's very, very stubborn. R-Right there." Suki says as she leans back into him.

"Stubborn is one thing, but seriously. He can't be THAT freaking fixated on you, if you're just friends. Was he your boyfriend or something? Cause I really would have thought that you would have better taste than that. I didn't think dumb blondes were really your type." The violet eyed ninja continues as he rubs that spot that Suki specified.

Suki raises an eyebrow. Suigetsu almost sounded jealous. That couldn't be though, could it? All he really cared about was getting those swords.

Sure, he might show some compassion now and then. Despite that, it was rather obvious what his only goal was. So why would he care, if she had been involved with Naruto or not?

"Naruto was never my boyfriend, if that's what you're asking." Suki informs him.

"Yeah. That's what I was asking. Well judging by the way he was acting, he sure as Hell wanted to be." The sword lover says as he tries to work out the tension in her back.

"Nhh. God, that feels so g-good. Wait. Why do you care so much about Naruto?" She demands.

Suigetsu sighs and bites his lower lip. He knew damn well that he shouldn't care about the dumb blonde. It was fairly obvious that Suki didn't wasn't particularly fussed about what happened to him. So why should it upset him?

That and it didn't matter if they had been together. It was like Suki was his girlfriend. She didn't owe him any explanations. Naruto was just annoying. That's all.

"He's annoying. The guy is really pushy. He's probably never going to leave us alone. That means he's going to get in the way of our goals. So it's kinda my job to learn more about him and kick his ass, if necessary." Suigetsu says cockily.

"I can't disagree with that. He is annoying. I don't want him killed though. He was my comrade. We fought side by side. That means something to me. I'll kill him, if I have to. I just don't want it to come to that. Itachi is the one I want dead." She says.

That irritates him. She was defending her stalker. Well sorta. Apparently, Suki did actually take the team thing seriously to some extent.

That puzzles him a bit. The Ice Princess seemed like such a loner and yet, here she was going on about comrades. She was definitely a walking contradiction.

"I can't make any promises. You know me. I'm a Prodigy in the Art of Murder. There's a reason that I got that title." The violet eyed ninja replies with a smirk.

Suigetsu wasn't sure that he was ever going to fully understand what went on inside her head. Hell, he doubted if Suki even understood what was going on in her head. That was one complicated chick.

"Suigetsu, we were getting along really well. Don't ruin it by acting like a peacock." The raven haired woman mutters.

"Huh? What does that even mean?" The other ninja asks in confusion.

"Peacocks strut around with their feathers, trying to impress others. You're strutting about your homicidal tendencies. It's not going to work on me. I'm not scared of you." The young woman says bluntly.

Now it was Suigetsu's turn to raise an eyebrow. Alright. Maybe, that was accurate. He wasn't going to tell her that though.

"I think that you're just interested in seeing my tail again. All you had to do was ask, Princess." He says smugly.

Really, he expected her to slap him. He expected Suki to yell at him and call him a pervert. She did neither though. Suki whirls around and pins him to the bed.

"I'm going to kill Itachi. That takes priority. Don't flatter yourself. I'm not that easily distracted by every cute guy that comes along. Just because I got an eyeful when you came out of that tank, doesn't mean anything. Got it?" She demands.

Suigetsu smirks. She'd called him cute. That was unexpected. (Well he would have preferred a more masculine adjective than cute, but he digressed. It was a start.)

"Yeah. I got it. You think I'm cute, but you're too skittish to act on it until Itachi is dead." He tells her.

"What?! That is not what I said! How on Earth did you manage to get that from what I said?!" Suki demands.

"Well the fact that you have a habit of cuddling up to me, let me carry you around, and are straddling my hips may have had something to do with it." Suigetsu says and before she could respond, Suki felt his lips against her own.

He was kissing her! Suigetsu was really kissing her! This wasn't an accidental kiss like with Naruto! This was on purpose and she had no idea how to respond.

Actually, that wasn't accurate. Her mind might not have known what to do, but her body was apparently two steps ahead of the last female Uchiha's mind. She found herself kissing back and decides to worry about the potential consequences later.


	7. Suigetsu's Kiss & Itachi's Note

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Suigetsu and Suki share their first kiss as Itachi makes his move.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's Note: Thanks for the reviews. I hope that you all enjoy this chapter.

Suki couldn't believe that Suigetsu was kissing her! He was kissing her and it felt good. Really, really good.

That wasn't a word that she had used much lately. It was an accurate one in this case though. His lips were warm and rougher than hers, but she liked that. He also tasted like cinnamon candy for some reason. She wasn't sure why.

"Mmm." She sighs in pleasure at the kiss, but breaks it in favor of breathing.

It was a tough call. Oxygen or kissing. Which was more important?

Somewhere in the back of her mind, Suki knew that kissing him was a bad idea. It was too easy to form an attachment to someone that you were kissing and attachments were very dangerous right now. Much to her chagrin, Suki's hormones had decided to overrule her mind at least for a little while.

"You've never really been kissed before, have you?" Suigetsu asks as he changes their position.

Suki blinks as she was now underneath him. She might not be particularly experienced when it came to romantic affairs, but the Uchiha woman knew enough to realize that this was escalating quickly. Perhaps too quickly.

"Not really. Why? Did I do it wrong?" She asks, suddenly feeling rather self-conscious.

Naruto was the only boy that she had kissed and even that didn't really cont. It had been an accident and the two of them had broken apart as quickly as possible. Was she a bad kisser?

"No, Princess. You were doing it very right. It's just that you know you can breathe through your nose when you kiss. That way you don't have to stop as quickly." The other ninja informs her.

"Ohhh. Good to know." The raven haired woman replies.

She was blushing. Suki could feel her face burning with embarrassment. Her technique apparently fine, but Suki had made a Rookie Mistake. A mistake that had easily shown her to be as inexperienced as she was.

"Yeah. Figured that might be good to let you know." He tells her before kissing her again.

Suki feels herself smiling into the kiss, despite the situation. This was crazy. She really shouldn't be kissing him, but it just felt so good.

The fact that he was on top of her now, made it better somehow. Suki doubted that she could really articulate the reason why, but the feeling of body against hers made her feel safe. Safe and warm.

"Well I probably would have figured it out. Eventually." She whispers between kisses as she wraps her arms around his neck.

He was definitely bigger than her. Suki had shot up early on. When she left the Leaf, she was still taller than most of the boys her age. That edge she had on the Leaf boys originally, that was definitely gone by now.

Suigetsu was taller than her. He was just bigger than her physically. While he wasn't nearly as massive as Jugo, it was still fairly significant. Suki wasn't sure why, but she found that erotic.

"I'm sure that you would have." He breaks the kiss just long enough to tell her, before returning to it.

Suki feels herself moan into the affectionate gesture when she feels his tongue brush against hers. That was new. Hmm. This was even better with tongues, she decides and shyly brushes hers against his.

Suigetsu smirks and Suki knew why. The violet eyed ninja now knew that she was as into it as he was. That probably wasn't a good thing, but that knowledge didn't stop her body from responding to him all the same.

"Hate to do it, but Jugo and Karin are probably going to come barging in any minute. I doubt you really want to listen to her shrieking, if she sees us sucking face." He says as he reluctantly stops.

"Did you seriously just refer to kissing as sucking face?" Suki asks with a raised eyebrow.

"Well yeah. What else would you call it? Don't look all huffy. You're really good at it." Suigetsu says.

Suki didn't know whether to laugh, roll her eyes, or just gape at him. It was just such a Suigetsu thing to say. Well she supposed that there was another benefit to being on Taka. She was apparently never going to be bored.

"I don't get huffy, but you're right. Karin would never let either of us hear the end of it. That and I'm not feeling cruel enough to have Jugo get caught in the middle of our spats with her." The raven haired woman says with a sigh.

"That's true. Jugo is a good guy. Well he's a good guy, most of the time anyway. No need to have him get in the middle of her shrieking." Suigetsu says thoughtfully.

"Mhm." Suki agrees with the violet eyed ninja.

She wasn't really sure what to say. Suki had just had her first real kiss with someone. Well a lot of first kisses really and he definitely wasn't her boyfriend.

The last female Uchiha wasn't completely naïve. She knew that she'd eventually need to revive her Clan and she was more than familiar enough with the basics of what that would entail. Suki just hadn't given much thought to the actual revival process before.

"So you wanna do this again sometime? When they aren't breathing down our neck?" He asks.

She hadn't really thought about whether or not she would actually enjoy BEING with her lover. Suki wanted her family back desperately and it was her sacred duty to keep her family's name alive. Whether she liked it or not, hadn't factored into the equation much.

"Mmm I'll think about it. Now, get off of me before they see us." She whispers.

Naturally, she had always assumed that she would try to find someone who didn't annoy her. Someone who was good with kids. Someone who was strong and preferably at least reasonably intelligent.

Passion had been towards the bottom of her list of requirements in a husband. That's in the rare event she pondered the topic at all. Now, Suki was pretty sure that she was going to have to revaluate that.

"You might want to be careful how you phrase things. That could be taken the wrong way. You told me to stop and then told me to get off. Those are conflicting signals, Princess." He says with a smirk.

SMACK. In hindsight, he probably should have seen her coming. The dirty joke, had likely been a bridge too far. Suigetsu couldn't help it though. Suki was really hot when she got angry. He couldn't resist winding her up.

"You are SUCH a pervert!" Suki growls at him.

Oh yeah. That growling thing was sexy as Hell. He should probably get her to do that more. Though it was going to be a challenge to walk the line between Sexy Growls and Chidoris.

"Maybe, but you weren't complaining a few minutes ago." He retorts happily.

"Ahhh! You're impossible!" Suki practically snarls at him as she goes to find Karin and Jugo.

Suigetsu smirks as he watches her walk away. It had been awhile since he had a goal besides the swords, but now he had one. Well more accurately, now he had someone. Kinda.

Oh he was still going to get those swords. There was no way he was going to give up on that, but now he had something else to do besides that. This should be fun.

"Particularly finding out what else she normally wears besides red silk." He muses to himself.

* * *

Meanwhile Naruto and the rest of the Retrieval Team were planning their next move. Their encounter with Suki and Taka hadn't gone the way they hoped. Naruto had really thought that they would be on their way back to the Leaf by now.

"They fight like a team." Sakura says almost mournfully.

The blonde didn't need to guess why. Once again, he was forced to face the fact that Suki had CHOSEN this team. She wanted to be part of Taka.

That hadn't been the case with Team Seven though. Suki had just been assigned to be on the same squad as him and Sakura. Naruto knew that meant SOMETHING to the last Uchiha, but he didn't know how much and that was a scary thought.

"Yeah. They do. They have the big one to go berserk. The red head helps to heal them. Suki is a powerhouse and that white haired one is crazy." Kiba observes.

Naruto sighs and nods. He couldn't really argue with that assessment. Kiba was right. That did sum up Taka rather well. The only question that remained was what were they going to do about it?

"Do we have any idea where they might have gone?" Neji asks.

The Jinchuuriki shakes his head. As much as he hated to say to say it, she could be anywhere by now. Though the fact that Suki had been injured probably limited the possibilities.

"Not really. We need to start looking though. Even with Karin's help, Suki took a pretty hard hit." He mutters.

Naruto hadn't meant to hit HER, but Suki had jumped in front of Suigetsu. She had taken the hit for the other ninja. The last female Uchiha had protected him and Naruto wanted to know why.

Were they actually dating? He couldn't really imagine Suki dating anyone, but he supposed anything was possible. She sure seemed concerned about his safety.

"That's true. Let's fan out and see if we can't find her!" Sakura says.

There were murmurs of agreement and just like that, the large team takes off. They take off in search of Suki and Taka. They had to find her and bring her back somehow.

Maybe, she was just trying to protect her teammate out of principle though. He was her comrade now. Suki had saved him from Haku once. That might be what was going on in her mind.

"What a drag. Don't worry, we'll find them." Shikamaru says as he flits off next to Naruto.

He'd never forget her cry of pain though. Naruto would never be able to get that out of his head. He had hit a comrade. He had hit one of his friends. That was just wrong.

"Yeah. I know. We aren't going to leave her with those creeps. It's bad enough that she went with Orochimaru, but now she's traveling with his rejects?" Naruto demands.

That went against everything that he'd ever believed in. One day, he was going to be Hokage. Hokages protected Leaf Villagers, they didn't attack him.

On some level, the Jinchuuriki realized that he was being ridiculous. He hadn't intentionally harmed Suki, but he had. Naruto couldn't fully moved beyond that very simple and disturbing fact.

"Naruto, don't allow your personal feelings to cloud your judgment. Every one of those ninjas is formidable in their own right. These people are not to be underestimated." Shino says.

"Shino, you've started talking a lot more since you got assigned to this mission. I'm proud of you!" Naruto exclaims happily.

Truthfully, the blonde needed a distraction and he was grateful to Shino for unintentionally providing him with one. He didn't want to think about his mistake. He just needed something else to focus on as they looked for Taka.

Naruto couldn't help but laugh at Shino's annoyed expression. The other ninja did the whole looking annoyed thing really well. Naruto just wasn't nearly as good at it.

* * *

At that same time, Itachi was debating about what to do. He could confront them and that had been his original plan, but he wasn't entirely certain it was a good one. There was still the matter of Obito.

Well his original name was Obito. These days he normally went by Madara or Tobi. Half the time he played the part of a simpleton. The other half of the time he had taken on the name of their infamous ancestor. It was all quite clever, if one stopped to think about it long enough.

"I wonder if he even knows who he is anymore." Itachi whispers to himself as he watches Taka from that window once more.

Itachi wasn't entirely certain, what Obito knew anymore. Could the man distinguish reality from his sly moves? It was possible that he was slipping into madness. That was the only logical explanation for what he was planning.

He wanted to create his own reality. That was surely the very definition of insanity. Not that Itachi could entirely blame him. The man's current reality was far from pleasant and neither was his own.

"That doesn't mean that he should get to decide everyone's fate though." He murmurs as he has his crow glance more into the window.

What he saw was even more irritating in some ways than Obito's plotting. The sword lover definitely was not keeping his hands to himself. Apparently, Suki must have decided to make him her boyfriend or the violet eyed ninja was seducing his sister.

His baby sister. His ONLY sister. The girl who he used to give piggyback rides to when she was a child. The sweet child who had followed him everywhere with her huge bubble eyes. That was who Suigetsu had the gall to seduce!

"She's far too young for such things." He growls in annoyance.

Perhaps he should confront them. He could die before Obito spilled the beans. Suki would take his eyes and then his eyes would protect her from their relative.

It was the perfect plan. Perhaps it was time to set it in motion. To Itachi, the decision seemed like an absolutely logical one. There was just one problem. He had to get them away from civilians first in order to minimize causalities.

Itachi watches with some amusement when he sees Suki smack Suigetsu and head off. The eldest Uchiha Sibling could only assume that she was going to find their other teammates. Good.

The sword lover needed to learn to keep his hands to himself. That was his baby sister. She should be treated with respect! With that thought in mind, he has the crow leave a note on the ledge and instruct it to sneak off. Once that was accomplished the crow caws and flies off.

* * *

"What the?" The snowy haired ninja asks in confusion when he hears the sound of a bird.

Curios, he quickly looks around. That's when he saw something on the window. Upon further inspection, it was a note.

**_Foolish Little Sister,_ **

**_You really shouldn't let your guard down like that. Just because you have found yourself a boyfriend, doesn't make you safe. Unless it is your desire to restore our Clan before our final battle, you can find me at the Valley of the End. I thought that it was most fitting._ **

**_Itachi Uchiha_ **

"That pervert was watching us!" Suigetsu hisses under his breath.

* * *

On the other side of their suite, Suki was completely unaware of a certain sword lover's frustration. She was currently chatting with Karin about where they would go next. After all, they did have to decide sooner or later.

That and speaking with the other woman gave her a chance to collect her thoughts. Suki didn't know what she was going to do about the Suigetsu Situation. She had kissed him. A lot. Did that mean they were dating?

Did them kissing mean anything to him? He was a Criminal Ninja. Maybe, it had just been fun for him. Maybe, Suigetsu was just messing with her head. Who could really say?

"Suki, are you alright? Your lip is all puffy." Karin observes.

That was the moment when Suki begins to blush. The last female Uchiha knew when it happened because she could feel it. Her face was burning with embarrassment.

She bites her lower lip and curses her luck. Damn it. She was blushing now and Karin knew it. How was she supposed to come up with a suitable excuse to justify her blushing and slightly swollen lip on the spot? It seemed like such an impossible task.

"Yes, Karin. I'm fine." She mumbles.

Whatever she was going to do or not do with Suigetsu was really none of her business. She felt bad for what Karin had gone through, but the red head didn't have anything to do with them. That and she'd never hear the end of it, if the other girl realized what they had just been doing.

Suigetsu was right about one thing. Karin was loud. Very loud. He had nicknamed her Banshee for a good reason. She certainly was fully capable of living up to it, whenever the mood struck her.

"You sure? You're turning pretty red. Do you have a favor?" Karin asks in concern.

"Yeah I'm sure and maybe." Suki semi lies with ease.

The raven haired woman was certain that she would be fine. The fever part though, well that had been a lie or something very close to it. A maybe wasn't telling the full truth. At best, it was leaving Karin to draw her own and likely incorrect conclusions.

"Karin, I don't think Suki wants to talk about it. There's no point in forcing the issue." Jugo says with a smile.

Ah thank goodness. Thank goodness for Jugo. He really was her Shield. That was excellent shielding. She really should do something nice for him later.

Suki wasn't really sure what she could do for the gentle giant though. Maybe, she could find him some clothes that fit? It'd be better than having him walk around wearing curtains all day. Yeah. That sounded like a good idea.

"Hey! We're teammates. We're supposed to help each other. Besides, Suki said that she'll take me back to the Leaf later. Once Itachi is dead, we're going to live in the Uchiha District together. That kinda makes us like sisters!" Karin says.

This causes the Uchiha woman to raise an eyebrow. That was a big of a stretch. They might be friends, but sisters was something else entirely. She and Karin didn't share the same mother. That bond just wasn't there.

It was difficult to truly create that sort of bond with someone who wasn't related to you. Well it was for Suki anyway. She really didn't know whether to be flattered or mildly concerned that the red head was seeking such a deep bond with her. So she settles on a combination of both.

"You don't look like sisters." Jugo observes innocently and Suki winces.

Oh boy. Poor Jugo was about to get an earful. That was the wrong thing to say. Actually, Suki wasn't sure if there was a worse thing than he could have said at that moment.

"OF COURSE NOT! WE AREN'T ACTUALLY BIOLOGICAL SISTERS! IT'S THE PRINCIPLE OF THE THING!" Karin thunders in outrage!

Jugo blinks and takes several steps back. Suki could tell that Karin's rather vocal response had shocked him. Hell, it might have even terrified him a bit. The woman could be quite loud when she wanted to be.

"Karin, quit your yelling at Jugo. He's just stating a fact. That and we have far more important things to worry about." Suigetsu says as he comes striding over to them.

That announcement causes Suki to frown. They had far more important things to worry about? Like what? Was violet eyed ninja trying to say that the Leaf had found them?

"What do you mean?" The Uchiha woman demands.

"Well I found this on the window sill. Suki, you might want to read this one to yourself first. It's kinda private." He says as he hands her the letter in question.

Suki raises an eyebrow. That didn't sound promising. What could be so bad that Suigetsu was worried about her reading it in front of their teammates.

That didn't make any sense. He didn't strike her as the type to be worried about other people's sense of embarrassment. Sighing, she quickly reads the letter.

"He was spying on us." Suki hisses, a few moments later.

She couldn't believe it. Itachi had been spying on them. He had seen her first real kiss and she hadn't even realized that he was there!

If Itachi had wanted, he could have killed them both. They both would have been dead before either of them knew what was going on. That was a sobering thought. How could she have ever allowed herself to be so careless?!

"We're going to the Valley of the End. Itachi is going to meet us there." She mutters.

There was no way that she was going to tell Karin and Jugo about the rest of Itachi's note. For now, the most important thing was getting at the agreed upon location. Once Itachi was dead, she could worry about other stuff.

She could worry about other stuff like what was she going to do about Suigetsu. His kiss was sufficiently distracting that she hadn't even noticed that a cold-blooded killer was watching them. That was dangerous. Very dangerous.

"What?!" Karin and Jugo demand in shock.

Suki couldn't blame them. The odds of Itachi getting in contact with them and organizing a meeting were ridiculously low. Hell, she had the note in her hands and even she didn't believe it. So how could she possibly expect her teammates to understand?

"She said we're going to the Valley of the End. We need to be careful. There's no telling what sort of traps he might have already laid there. I expect Kisame will be with him. This guy won't want to face us alone. Well he won't want to face us alone unless he's stupid, anyway." The former Mist Ninja says with a cruel smirk.

"Are we sure this is a good idea? It seems to have trap written all over it." Jugo asks.

"I know that it sounds crazy, but I have to go. If you don't want to go, I won't force you." Suki says.

Suigetsu gives Jugo a dirty look. He was right, of course. It did have trap written all over it. That wasn't going to stop him from going with Suki though.

This was the chance he had been waiting for. If Itachi was there, that meant that Kisame was likely going to be there. Where there was Kisame, there was also Samehada. This was his big chance.

"Well I don't know about you or Karin, but I'm going." He states firmly.

That and he wanted to help Suki. Suigetsu might not be exactly sure what they were, but he knew one thing. She was a damn good kisser. He'd like to keep her alive for more of the aforementioned kissing to occur.

"I'm going, if Suki is. I'm her Shield. I just wanted to ensure that everyone understood that this might not be the wisest course of action." Jugo says as if it was obvious.

Suigetsu feels himself twitch. He knew that the other ninja probably didn't mean it the way it sounded. That didn't stop the fact that this Shield nonsense was really annoying.

Suki was HIS girlfriend. Well she kinda was. They might not have officially said so, but she kissed him. That had to mean something, right?

"Whatever. What about you, Karin?" He asks.

"I'm going as well. If any of you get hurt, it's my job to patch you up." She reasons.

"Good then lets get going. We have no way of knowing how long Itachi will wait for us." Suki says and with that, Taka prepares to embark on their journey to the Valley of the End.


	8. Completely Out of Character

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Taka faces finally faces off against Itachi, but Itachi's behavior leaves the entire team feeling confused.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's Note: Thanks for the reviews. I hope that you all enjoy this chapter.

Suki sighs as they head towards the Valley of the End. The sooner they got there, the better. Everyone would get what they wanted as soon as he was dead.

She'd avenge her Clan. Karin and Jugo would get their own homes. Suigetsu would get his sword. After that, life would go back to normal. So why did that thought make her feel so anxious?

"You sure we're heading the right way, Princess?" Suigetsu asks.

Suigetsu. That's why she felt so anxious. Suki knew that once he had the Samehada, he'd likely take off. Odds are she'd never see him again and that made her feel… _sad._

Well sad and angry. Sad because she would miss him and angry because she would miss him. Suki really shouldn't care one way or the other, if the sword lover was around or not.

"Suki knows where she's going, you idiot!" Karin snaps at Suigetsu.

She did though. That's what scared her. Was she really that pathetic? A few stolen kisses and Suki had suddenly become a romantic?

Itachi was right. She really was his foolish little sister. Suki wasn't completely naïve. She had seen enough in the Sound Village to realize that lust and love (or even like) didn't always go together.

"Oh chill out. Just because I questioned the Princess is no reason to get huffy. At least her Royal Majesty doesn't freak out over every little thing like you do though!" The white haired man snaps.

Had it meant anything to him? Was he just having fun or was it some sort of trick? If that was the case, what did Suigetsu stand to gain by deceiving her into believing he had real feelings for her?

Karin wanted a home. Jugo just wanted to be in control of himself. Suigetsu just wanted the swords. She could only give him one. Did he really want a girlfriend?

"I don't freak out over everything! You just treat everything like it's a joke! I can't believe you're even a ninja!" The red head growls at him.

"Karin, knock it off. You're being annoying." Suki says flatly as she flits on ahead of her teammates.

She needed to put some space between them. Suki needed to figure out what she was going to do about Suigetsu. That and she needed to figure out why she was thinking about him more than Itachi.

"What?! I'm being annoying?! He's the one who started it!" Karin protests.

"Ha! See? You are being annoying, just like she said!" Suigetsu says smugly.

It felt good to see Suki defend him again. Thankfully, this was just a verbal defense. Still he'd take what he could get. That meant that his Ice Princess was thawing out even more.

"You are such a jerk!" Karin yells at him.

She'd definitely been hot earlier. Really, hot. He couldn't believe that she'd never seriously kissed someone before. Though he supposed that she had other things on her mind.

Mostly Itachi. Why did all the hot chicks have the most issues? Then again, he wasn't exactly normal either.

He was a Prodigy in the Art of Murder and his hobby was living up to his title and finding swords. Maybe in some twisted way, they made sense. After all, she wanted to restore her Clan after she axed her brother.

"Please stop fighting. We need to be at our best, if we're going to defeat Itachi and likely his partner." Jugo whispers softly.

That changed the course of his internal musings. Jugo was right. They did need to be at their best. They were likely going to face two powerful opponents and one of them might have the Samehada.

Why was he thinking about potential fatherhood when he should be focusing on the sword? It was highly doubtful that Suki was really serious about him anyway. She was such a Princess.

"You're right. Let's get going. We don't want our fearless leader to leave us behind." Suigetsu says as he darts off after Suki at full speed.

The woman would kill her brother and then return the Leaf. She'd be the tragic hero. After that, she'd probably find some goodie two shoes who was boring as Hell and make lots of super babies with him.

He mentally winces as he imagines said ninja. A flash of blonde hair came to his mind. There was obviously a long history there between the two of them and it was one that he just couldn't compete with.

"Suigetsu! Wait for us!" Jugo calls out as he and Karin desperately try to keep pace with their two other teammates.

He was so going to kick that blonde's ass, after he got Kisame's sword. Actually, he'd probably just decapitate him with the sword. Yeah! That would serve him right!

It was his fault that Suki got hurt! That idiot was rushing in and trying to be her white knight or something. It was stupid. Suki didn't need a knight.

* * *

"We're here." Suki says a few hours later as they arrive at the Valley of the End.

He had heard Orochimaru talk once or twice about how Suki and Naruto had fought here. He also knew that it had something to do with the First Hokage and Madara. Madara was Suki's great great great something uncle (or was it grandfather?). So perhaps it was fitting that Itachi had chosen this place for their final showdown.

"I don't sense any chakra. Well besides ours." Karin says.

"Good. Maybe. We either got here before he did or Itachi found a way to completely mask his chakra, even from you." Suki says.

"In which case, that would be the opposite of good. Your brother is really freaky." Suigetsu observes.

Suigetsu didn't receive an immediate response. He could tell that Suki and Karin were both scanning the area and Jugo had released his birds. If Itachi was hiding, they would find him.

He wouldn't put it past the man to attempt an ambush. Yeah. He was a pretty messed up person and he had done a lot of bad things, but he never would have slaughtered his own family. There was some things that you just didn't do.

"You really shouldn't judge people with whom you've never spoken to before. That's a foolish action. Though I suppose that is why you are traveling with my foolish little sister." He hears a silky voice say from behind him as he feels a kunai against the back of his neck.

Damn it. If he moved, the other ninja would slit his throat. Though Suigetsu suspected that he might do that anyway. He was so screwed.

"Itachi! Get away from him! I'm the one that you're after, not him." She screams at him.

"Suki, you're never going to kill me at this rate. You lack the proper hatred. You've foolishly attached yourself to your new teammates. That makes you weak." Itachi taunts her.

* * *

Meanwhile Obito was watching the Leaf's Retrieval Team. It was imperative that they not find Suki. She was too vital for his plans to allow them to drag her back.

Itachi was every inch the noble martyr. Suki wasn't that way though. Once she knew the truth, she'd hate the Leaf. That hatred would make her very useful to him.

"Guys! Akamaru's picked up her scent!" Kiba calls out excitedly.

Obito couldn't help but smirk. Children was so easily distracted. He couldn't blame the ninja dog though. The overgrown puppy was just following its nose, but its owner and companions were another matter.

Really, they should know better. If it seemed to good to be true, it probably was. Nevermind. That didn't matter. He just had to distract them.

"Alright!" He hears Naruto shout out and with that, Obito takes off running.

He had used a Transformation Jutsu to look like Suki. The dog was following the her former shirt that he was now wearing. It had her scent on it and thus would trick the canine into follow him (or should he say, her?).

They lacked any sense of stealth, really. Obito supposed that they figured they'd be able to capture Suki by overwhelming her with numbers. As if determined to prove him right, he could hear performing the Shadow Clone Jutsu.

"BYAKUGAN!" Hinata says as she flits alongside the other members of the group.

Wonderful. So it seemed like they had their own bloodline in the group. The Byakugan. It was certainly as formidable as the Sharingan. The only difference is it was more defensive in his mind than offensive like his own bloodline trait.

This might be harder than he thought. Oh well. He was still confident in his ability to outrun these children. They really had no idea who they were dealing with.

"Suki! Suki!" Naruto calls out to his former teammate desperately.

Obito mentally winces briefly for a moment. The blonde's voice sounded so desperate. It reminded him of him calling out to Rin.

"We'll get her! Don't worry! The Power of Youth is on our side!" Another says reassuringly.

They did seem to genuinely care about each other. That would only hurt them more in the end. This was a cruel world. Most likely at least half of them would die before their 20th birthday.

Obito was going to change that though. He was going to create a new reality. A better one. Why Itachi had such a difficult time understanding that was beyond him, but Suki might be able to grasp why such a desperate action was necessary.

"Swarm her! Sting her!" Shino instructs his insects as the bugs try to perform their Master's bidding.

That was annoying. He quickly forms a Jutsu to wrap a shield of earth around himself. He couldn't risk falling asleep thanks to the insects' stings. No. That simply wouldn't due at all.

With that in mind, he performs the Body Flicker Technique and leaves them all behind. This was getting too dangerous. He'd distracted them for awhile. That might be all that was needed.

"Itachi will surely seek her out. He knows that I'm interested in finding her. He'll want to be dead before she can discover the truth. Too bad, I'm not going to allow that to happen." He says as he heads off to find his relatives.

* * *

Back with Taka and Itachi, Suki activates her Mangekyo Sharingan. She wasn't going to let Itachi kill Suigetsu. He'd already taken too many precious people from her.

"Susanoo!" She calls out as a giant hand made of purple chakra grabs Suigetsu and pulls him away from Itachi.

"That's impressive. You've unlocked your Mangekyo. Perhaps you are not completely hopeless, after all. It'll never be enough though. You couldn't protect our family. So I haven't the faintest idea why you think that you can protect your friends." Itachi says, taunting her.

His heart ached every time that he had to do this, but it was necessary. She needed to hate him enough to kill him. Once he was dead, she would be safe.

She'd take his eyes, he knew that much. His eyes would protect her from Obito. It was just the way that things had to be.

"Battle axe!" Jugo snarls as he charges at Itachi with an axe made out of chakra.

It was impressive. His sister had certain assembled a team that complemented each other well abilities wise. That was to be expected though.

Suki might be foolish. The young woman let her emotions rule her, but Itachi had never doubted his foolish little sister's intelligence. Unfortunately for Jugo, that move wasn't going to be enough to take care of him.

He dodges and swiftly knocks the other man out. There was no need to kill Jugo. He was merely being a good teammate.

"Thanks, Princess. Something's up with your psychotic brother though." Suigetsu whispers, once he was safely back with Karin and Suki.

"You mean the fact that he's trying to kill us?" Karin demands.

"No. It's more like the opposite. He could have slit my throat before Suki threw a Susanoo out to save me. He just knocked Jugo out. He's not going for kill shots." The white haired man says.

That's when Itachi's eyes narrow. Well it seemed like Suki's boyfriend was more perceptive than he had originally anticipated. That just simply wouldn't due at all. He should have slit his throat when he had the chance.

"You're right." Suki agrees reluctantly.

What was Itachi's game? Why was he taking it easy on her teammates? It didn't make any sense. He wasn't actually displaying mercy. That couldn't be it.

A man who would kill his own family just to test the limits of his abilities, wouldn't be worried about bystanders. So what was it? Something was off. Suigetsu was right about that much.

"Suki are you really so cowardly that you would stand there speaking with your teammates than avenge the Clan that you claim to have loved so much?" Itachi demands.

That did it. Suki snarls and lunges at Itachi in a blind rage. Her brother wasn't expecting it. Her sword slams into him, but something pushed Itachi mostly out of the way at the last second.

It was a blur blue. She blinks in confusion. That's when she realizes that Itachi wasn't alone. Kisame was with him.

"Itachi, that wasn't very nice of you. You didn't tell me that you were heading to a party. I thought we were partners." The former Mist Ninja says.

Again, something was off. Her brother looked just as surprised at the other Akatsuki Member's sudden appearance as she was. This wasn't adding up.

"My apologies, Kisame. It was a spur of the moment decision. I hope that you understand. Though I'm afraid that I'm going to have to ask you to leave. This is something of a family affair." Itachi says smoothly, despite the fact that he was clutching his left arm.

Suki smirks when she realizes why. She might not have killed him, but she had drawn blood. His sleeve was cut and he was bleeding. Badly enough that she could see some blood drip to the ground.

It was a start. Itachi still had a lot to pay for though. He had killed their entire family. She'd found their parents laying in a pool of blood. Now, Suki was determined to see Itachi laying in a pool of HIS blood!

"Awe. That's no fun, Itachi. Besides, I just saved you from getting cut to ribbons. You should let me stay and play with your kid sister's friends. It'll be fun." He says with a smirk.

Itachi wanted Kisame to leave. Again, it didn't make any sense. His actions were completely out of character.

If Itachi wanted her dead, why not keep his partner around? Itachi was outnumbered three to one at the moment. Kisame would even the odds. So why was he trying to send the other ninja away?

"Hey, buzz off! This ain't your fight. Suki isn't your opponent. I am!" Suigetsu calls out suddenly as he throws himself at Kisame, brandishing his won sword.

"Suigetsu! No! You can't beat him! Not yet!" Suki calls out in horror.

"I find it strange that you can so accurately judge your teammates' abilities, but not your own." Itachi says as he tries to catch Suki in a Genjutsu.

Unfortunately, his little sister was now familiar with his Tsukuyomi. She might have fallen for it when she was a Genin, but not now. Though he supposed that she technically still was a Genin, her skill level far surpassed her official title.

"That won't work! Not this time!" Suki growls.

"Itachi, you really should stop underestimating the girl." An unfamiliar voice says.

Suki freezes as she looks around and then notices a man wearing an Akatsuki Cloak and an orange mask. This must be the one they called Tobi.

"What the Hell happened to your voice? You sound normal now and not like an idiot?" Kisame demands as he clashes with Suigetsu.

"Oh my dear Kisame, you have so much to learn. Sadly for you, I don't really have the time to explain everything to you. That and you don't need to know." The man says as he flicks senbon at the other ninja

Kisame was too busy talking with Tobi and fighting off Suigetsu to dodge. The needles pierced his skin. Suki watches in astonishment as the large man suddenly falls over to the ground.

He was either dead or asleep. That could only mean one thing. Poison. He had coated the senbon in poison.

"Tobi, get out of here. This is none of your concern." Itachi seethes at him.

"I dare say that it is my concern. After all, you two are all the family that I have left." He says as the one visible eye behind that mask turns ruby red.

The Sharingan. This other man had the Sharingan! Was he being sincere though? Was this "Tobi" really related to her somehow?

It was possible that he'd merely had a transplant like Kakashi, but Suki didn't this as particularly likely. For that to have happened, he would have either had to be gifted the Sharingan before the Massacre or taken one by force. Both options seemed unlikely, but so did the possibility that Itachi had somehow missed this man on the night of the Massacre.

"Enough of this!" Itachi snarls in rage as he flits over to Tobi, grabs his arm, and teleports them off.

"Did that really just happen?" Suigetus asks.

"Suki, is that guy really related to you? I mean he had the Sharingan!" Karin asks.

Suki bites her lower lip. She honestly didn't know. What were the odds that Itachi had missed someone on that night? Was it possible that Tobi had been on a mission or already left the Leaf to join the Akatsuki before that fateful night happened?

There were now so many questions swirling around in her mind, that Suki felt dizzy. That man was obviously important somehow. Itachi wouldn't have reacted like that, if Tobi wasn't a threat somehow.

"I don't know, but we're going to find out." She decrees.

"Yeah. In the meantime, what should we do with him? Should we just kill him?" Suigetsu asks as he glances at the unconscious Kisame.

Suki shakes her head. It was tempting. Kisame was certainly a formidable ninja in his own right and couldn't be trusted, but it'd be a waste. He might have valuable information that could help them track down Itachi, after all.

"No. We're taking him with us. You can have his sword though. Whether you want to join us or head off to find the other swords own your own is entirely up to you." The raven haired woman replies.

This was truly the moment of truth. Suigetsu had what he wanted. He had the Samehada. If it had just been fun or him messing with her head, there was no reason for him to stick around now.

That thought was filling her with a lot more dread than it should have. Suki almost felt like she was going to be sick. Was this what it was like to actually worry about things like this? To worry if a boy actually **_liked_** you?

"What? You think that I'm going to leave you now, Princess? Things are just starting to get interesting. Besides, I don't really know where the other swords are. I might find them as we try to hunt down your freaky brother. It's not like I have any leads." The violet eyed ninja muses.

No wonder the other Leaf girls were always such basket cases. This was not a good feeling. What if he was about to just leave?

That's when she hears his words. He was staying! Suigetsu was actually staying, even after he had that damn sword!

"Alright. Sounds good. Well now we have two objectives. To find Itachi and Tobi. Kisame might be able to give us some useful information, once he's conscious. For now, we need to get somewhere safe and drag them with us." She says.

"How are we suppose to carry them? They're huge!" Karin says.

"I'll just use the Susanoo." Suki explains as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

Karin nods, seeming to accept that answer. Why wouldn't she? The woman had seen what that particular Jutsu was capable of. There were times when Suki really loved having the Mangekyo Sharingan and this was one of them.

"Sounds good, Princess. Let's go." Suigetsu says and with that, Team Taka headed off to find a place to stay while they waited for the two unconscious ninjas to wake up.

* * *

Elsewhere Mei sighs. She couldn't believe that Dai had left. Well she could and she couldn't.

The man was a very dedicated ninja. He had a mission and he was going to see it through. Apparently, he was even willing to do so at potentially the cost of his own life.

"Why are all the good ones so stubborn?" She asks herself.

Perhaps she should try to find leads on Suki. If she could find that woman and return her to the Leaf, then Dai would be free to come back to her. He'd be free to come back to her and be properly treated.

It was the perfect plan. Though she knew that it was easier said than done. There was a reason why the Leaf had spent years looking for that girl. She was quite adapt at playing Hide and Go Seek.

"Not for long though." Mei mutters to herself.

She'd just dispatch as many ninjas as she could to look for her. Surely, someone would find her or at least discover a key to Suki's whereabouts. It was her only hope really.

"Then I can finally get married and we can start our lives together. Well after he recovers of course." She whispers to herself as she clutches a flower that Dai had given her.

_"What's this?" Mei asked in confusion when Dai had covered her eyes with one hand and placed something into her hands._

_"A present for you. I used a Jutsu to preserve it. As long as that flower is alive, I am as well. It's tied to my chakra." Dai explained as he removed his hand from her face._

_Mei smiled as she looked down at the beautiful red rose. It was the perfect symbol of their love and now, she would always know if he was alive or not. How thoughtful._

_"It's beautiful. I love it." She told him with a smile._

_"Good. It suits you then." Dai said, returning her smile with one of his own._

"That man really does have a beautiful smile." The Kage observes to herself as she heads off to dispatch the necessary ninjas to find Suki Uchiha.


	9. There Might Be

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Suki and Suigetsu grow closer as Obito and Itachi have a little chat.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's Note: Thanks for the reviews. I hope that you all enjoy this chapter.

A short while later, Team Taka had found a cave. It was far from the most glamorous place that Suki had ever stayed in, but it wasn't the worst either. For now, it would do.

"Make sure to restrain him. I don't know what kind of poison was used on him or how long he'll be out." Suki warns them.

"Yeah. Princess, we got that part. It's Kisame. The guy is a tank. It's probably better to just assume that he could wake up at any minute. Don't worry, I got some chakra cuffs on him." Suigetsu assures her.

Chakra cuffs? Where had he gotten those? More importantly, where had he been hiding them?

Whatever feelings Suki was developing for the homicidal sword lover didn't make her stupid. If the violet eyed man was capable of hiding chakra cuffs on his person, there was no telling what else he could hide. Just because they were allies now, didn't mean that they would always stay that way.

"Where did you get chakra cuffs?" Karin demands.

"None of your business. I thought they might come in handy sometime though. You never know when a pair of handcuffs can come in handy. Right, Suki?" He asks with a smirk.

Suki blinks. She was far from innocent enough to miss what he was implying. The last female Uchiha could only hope that somehow she had managed to hide her blush.

"It doesn't really matter where he got them. It's a good thing that Suigetsu had them on hand. Otherwise, we would have had to bind Kisame up with torn sleeves or something." Jugo reasons.

Suki lets out a quiet sigh of relief. The gentle giant might not know it, but he had acted as her Shield once again. At least now, she didn't necessarily have to comment on Suigetsu outrageous question.

"Exactly. Good work. Let's make camp for the night. I know my brother. We won't be able to track him, but we might be able to get something out of his partner." The raven haired woman reasons.

"Alright. Jugo, wanna help me put some rocks or something in front of the cave? That way if someone tries to sneak up on us, we'll have some warning." The sword lover asks.

Jugo nods and heads off with Suigetsu to do exactly that. Suki couldn't help but let out another sigh of relief at their disappearance. She wasn't sure how to act around him anymore.

* * *

"What's going on with you and Suigetsu?" Karin demands, a few minutes later.

"What do you mean?" The Uchiha woman asks, feigning innocence.

Karin was going to come and live with her in the Leaf, but that didn't necessarily make them friends. That and Suki had never really been the type to share information about her personal life with anyone. Well at least not after the Massacre.

So as far as she was concerned, the red head didn't have any right to make such demands. Besides, Suki didn't think that she even knew the answer to that question. What was going on between them?

"The way that you're constantly trying to save each other! That and how he was cuddling up to you one night in your sleep. It was really disturbing. Are you two together or something? You can do better than him! I mean his chakra's scent is positively foul!" She says.

"Karin, we're teammates. Teammates are supposed to look after each other. There's not much point in assembling a team, if no one makes it beyond the first fight. As for his chakra, I can't detect chakra scents. So that really doesn't bother me. That and whether we are together or not is none of your concern. I'll decide who is worth my time and who isn't." She half snaps at the other girl.

As soon as the words left her mouth, Suki regretted them. Well more so the tone than the actual words. The words were probably fine on their own. It was her tone that was going to get her into trouble.

She sounded way too defensive. Karin was definitely going to know that something was going on now. Suki also doubted that the red head was going to ignore that fact.

"I guess that's all true, but you know what I mean. We're going to live in the same District, Suki. We should be friends. Besides, we're teammates. If you care enough about your teammates from dying, you should care enough about us to be honest. Is there something going on between the two of you?" The bespectacled girl asks.

_"Is there something going on between the two of you two,"_ was such a simple question. Unfortunately, the answer was anything but simple. Suki honestly didn't know.

"There might be." Suki admits cautiously.

She really should know better than to get involved with a Criminal Ninja. Then again, Suki was now one herself. Perhaps, it was a bit hypocritical to hold his criminal status against him.

"You better be careful. All he cares about are those damn swords." Karin warns her.

"Maybe, he's the one who should be careful about me. After all, I only care about killing my damn brother." The raven haired ninja retorts.

The last female Uchiha really didn't care for the implication. It was as if Karin thought Suigetsu was an actual threat to her safety. Both her physical and mental well-being. Suki Uchiha could handle herself. Thank you very much.

* * *

Meanwhile Obito and Itachi were now far away from Taka. That was a pity. Obito would have liked very much to tell Suki the truth.

"You're just stalling for time. The truth has a way of coming out, Itachi." He warns him.

The other ninja was truly a dead man walking. He must have gotten treatment at some point though. He looked stable for the moment, but they both knew that wouldn't last.

Itachi would have to repeatedly seek out treatment, if he didn't want his condition to deteriorate. They both knew that and they both knew that the other Uchiha wasn't going to do that.

"I don't know, if I agree with that. It's been a decade since that fateful night. She still doesn't know what really happened and if I have anything to say about it, Suki never will!" Itachi seethes at him.

Obito did feel some measure of sympathy towards Itachi. His fate had never really been in his hands. Long before he was even born, tensions between the Uchiha Clan and the rest of the Leaf had been simmering under the surface.

Truly, it was only just a matter of time before they boiled to the breaking point. If their Clan hadn't tried to strike first, Obito was confident that the Leaf would have. Eventually.

"You're living on borrowed time and we both know that. Unless you have decided to change your current course of action. You do look healthier. Tell me, have you been getting treatment?" He asks.

He would have preferred it, if Itachi wasn't so dead set on being a martyr. The man would be quite the asset in his plans. Besides, they were both from the same Clan.

Whether or not Obito wanted to admit this out loud, that did merit a certain degree of affection. Blood was blood. It really was as simple as that. It was an innate human drive to care for your kin.

"Whether I have or not, is of no concern to you. You will leave her alone or I will kill you. That would be such a shame. I already have so much blood on my hands. The blood of our family. I'd rather not have to add to it, but I will. I will, if you leave me no choice." The younger ninja warns him.

Primal, really. It was primal. The desire to protect yourself and your family. Such instincts were not easy to ignore. Some people did find a way to do so though.

"Those are brave words for someone with one foot in the gave." He taunts him with a smirk.

He couldn't help but wonder, what Suki would do when she finally discovered what really happened on that horrible night. Would she still hate her brother? Would she pity him? Would she descend into madness?

He honestly didn't know. Obito did hope that she would keep her sanity though. The young woman could prove to be almost as useful as Itachi could in his plans.

"Only one foot. It's the other one that you should concern yourself with." Itachi says as he charges at the other man.

"Is this really what it's come down to? Uchiha fighting against Uchiha? There are only three of us left in the world, Itachi. We don't have to be enemies. If you insist on rushing to your death though, I will kill you." Obito warns him.

That only seemed to infuriate the other man more. Not that the Akatsuki Member could blame him. Reminding him of how few Uchihas left in the world there were was a low blow and he knew it.

It was tragic, really. Still Obito knew what needed to be done and he would do it without hesitation. He was fighting for a better world. Itachi just couldn't appreciate that yet. Perhaps, he would in time.

"You're largely responsible for that. I wouldn't have been able to kill them all without your help. You have just as much blood on your hand as I do!" Itachi hisses at him as he activates his Sharingan.

The poor boy. He was really pushing his luck. Activating his Sharingan was a foolish move, especially when he was still recovering. He truly was suicidal.

"That's accurate. Though what about your partner? You just left him behind when you Flickered off with me. Aren't you worried about him in the slightest?" Obito inquires cheerfully as he pulls out a sword, causing Itachi to back up slightly just before he could attack.

"Kisame is more than capable of taking care of himself. It's unwise to underestimate him or me." Itachi growls.

Obito smiles. That was also accurate. Itachi was as prodigy. That was likely why he had been chosen to carry out the grisly task of destroying the Uchiha Clan.

There were very few people who could have done it. He was one of only a handful of people who could have managed it. In truth, he despised the Leaf. That was just one of many reasons why he wanted to create another world though. A better one.

"Speaking of underestimating people, I believe that we have some company heading towards us. We'll have to continue this another time." Obito says.

That's when Itachi looks around. It was obvious what was happening. The other man had sensed what Obito had. There were ninjas coming towards them.

It wasn't Taka though. The Akatsuki Members would have recognized their chakra signatures, but they were ninjas. Ninjas who were heading towards them quickly.

"Yes, another time. I'm afraid that I do not have time to be arrested today." Itachi states and with that, he darts off.

* * *

Obito smirks and heads off in the opposite direction. There was no point in chasing after Itachi. The man had made his decision.

He might not agree with it and find it tragic, but it wasn't Obito's decision to make. If Itachi was sincerely that eager to rush off into an early demise, who was he to stop him? Obito would at least respect his wishes. It was far more than the Leaf ever did for that boy.

"That's what family does though. They love you for who you are and not what they wish you were." He whispers to himself as he heads off into the night.

The Leaf didn't even have the courage to do their own dirty work. No. Instead they had turned a thirteen year old boy into a Clan Slayer. It was a typical move from that village though.

Oh the Leaf loved to project an image of a respectable village with high ideals, but nothing could be further from the truth. Once you looked passed the tree tops and saw the ugly roots underneath, it was almost not to hate the Village Hidden in the Leaves.

* * *

A few hours later, everyone had fallen asleep in the cave. Well at least that's what Suki thought as she tended to the campfire. It gave them light and warmth. Both of which were desperately needed in this place.

"Princess, you really are such a pyro." Suigetsu says as he sits behind her and wraps his arms around her waist.

"Stop calling me that and I'm from a Fire Clan. What'd you expect?" Suki replies as she watches the flames dance.

Fire was familiar to her. Most people thought of it as a destructive force and that was true. Well to an extent. There was another side to fire though.

The flames could be used for light and heat. Fire could also be used to cook. There was also a romantic connotation to it and while it did destroy, it also had the power to create. The ash left behind from wildfires, would produce fertile soil for the next generation of plants and animals to return. Better than before.

"That's true. It suits you. I guess opposites attract though. Water and fire." Suigetsu continues.

Most people didn't see that side to fire though. They saw only destruction. Which for the most part was fine with her. Suki wanted people to be terrified of her. It was the easiest way to get what she wanted.

"For a second there, that sounded romantic. That can't possibly be your intention though." The raven haired woman replies.

"You can take it however you like. So did the banshee interrogate you while Jugo and I were out?" He asks.

She had. Karin really had interrogated her. Suki didn't really care though. As far as she was concerned, she didn't have to justify her actions to anyone. That included the red head.

"Yes, she did. Big time. Doesn't matter though. I brought her along for her medical and sensory skills. I didn't bring her along to give me advice on who to take or not take as my lover." The Uchiha woman states.

"Yeah. I would just ignore her, really. It's what I do. Lover, huh?" He asks with a smirk in his voice.

Suki didn't even need to turn around to know that he was smirking. Damn it. She probably should have chosen another word. Now, he was going to assume things and the bastard was being entirely too smug about her poor word choice for her liking.

"You know what I meant." The former Leaf Ninja says with a blush.

She was suddenly glad that her back was towards him. Suki hated blushing. She had never blushed much before. Not until this _thing_ started with Suigetsu.

"Don't sound so excited. You know what I meant." She grumbles, feeling that it was necessary to reiterate her point.

"Well if you want, we could still use those chakra cuffs. After we deal with Fishface, of course." The white haired ninja says smugly.

Suki rolls her eyes. It was hared to tell with Suigetsu what was bluster and what was serious. Though she doubted that he'd really say no, if she told him that she was actually interested in becoming lovers.

He was a man. Men seldom refused that type of _companionship_. Well at least that's what she had discerned from her time in the Sound Village.

"Didn't figure you for the type to want to be cuffed up." Suki says smugly.

Maybe, that would shut him up. She really needed to stop thinking about this. Maybe, after Itachi was dead. Maybe, then she could seriously think about getting a boyfriend. Not until then though.

"As hot as the whole Dominatrix thing is in a weird way, who said that I would be the one getting cuffed?" Suigetsu asks slyly.

"In the alternate universe where I actually agreed to become your lover in a cave, it's a foregone conclusion. There is no way that I'd let you tie me up." She mutters as she enjoys the warmth provided from the fire.

Suki really should end this conversation. She should change the topic or just get up and walk to the other side of the cave or something. If she did the latter though, Suigetsu would "win" by default and that just wasn't something that she was going to allow to happen.

"Awe. Don't be like that Princess. You won't know if you like it, until you try it. Besides, it'd probably be good for you." The sword lover taunts her as he places a soft kiss to the back of her neck.

God that felt good. What were they talking about again? Something important. She was almost sure of it.

"What would be good for me?" She manages to ask, hoping that she didn't actually moan or sigh in pleasure at the affectionate gesture.

"To loosen up and let someone else take charge for once. You might enjoy it." He whispers in her ear seductively before nibbling on it lightly.

Suki squirms. That felt surprisingly good. She really should tell him to knock it off though. They still had to figure out where her brother was and what if one of their teammates woke up and got an eyeful?

"And you might enjoy a Chidori, aimed below your waist." She warns him.

"Ouch. That's cold, but I know you don't really mean it." He informs her, once he let go of her ear.

"What makes you think that I don't mean it?" Suki demands as she turns around to face him.

"Because you would have already done it, if you meant it. You aren't the type to make idle threats. You don't warn people before you blow stuff up, you just do it." He says with a grin.

She pauses as she considers the best way to answer that. Suki knew that she had to establish some level of control over whatever this was. If she didn't, Suigetsu would definitely walk all over her and that just wasn't acceptable.

"Maybe. I wouldn't bet your life on it though." The raven haired woman warns him.

"I think I'll take my chances." Suigetsu says as he kisses her.

For such an Ice Princess, she could be really fiery when she wanted to be. Suigetsu liked that about her though. Kept him on her toes. She could more than keep up with him on the battlefield and in verbal spars. So that was nice.

She was also a damn good kisser. It was just annoying that she was more focused on her brother than making out. Well making out and there were a lot of other things he'd like to try.

"Mmm thinking isn't really something that you're good at. You should probably leave that up to me." Suki whispers between kisses.

She was a sassy little thing. He had to give her that much. He smirks and wraps his arms around her waist tighter. Yeah. He was definitely going to murder her damn brother and explore what else she could do with that sassy mouth of hers. Well besides insults, threats, and kissing.

"I'm more of an instinct kinda guy." He admits.

"Mhm. I see that." Suki says as she pushes him down on his back and continues kissing him.

Well she might be a slow starter, but damn. Once she got going, apparently Suki was more than willing to go into Dominatrix Mode. Which was fine with him for the moment.

He wasn't going to argue with the view. Now, if only they could get rid of some of those clothes. That would make the view even better.

"So it's just the cave thing that's the main objection?" He asks, after breaking the kiss.

"That's part of it. It's not exactly very romantic and the others would definitely wake up." She reasons.

Ah ha! So there was a chance that she'd be interested having some fun Sexy Times with him. It was just that the Princess wasn't an Exhibitionist.

He couldn't blame her. Doing it in front of Karin was a real mood killer and then there was Jugo. Not to mention Kisame. Kisame would enjoy the show way too much for his comfort.

"Well we could always find some place more private later." He reasons as he traces the curve of her hips.

Those were nice hips. Definitely going to come in handy later. She seemed to prefer being on top. Which was alright. He was flexible.

"I said that was part of it. I didn't say that was all of it. I don't want to get close to anyone before he's dead and I don't really know if you'd stick around afterwards." She admits.

"Well let's see. I have a gorgeous ninja currently straddling my waist, who knows how to kiss really well. After I get my swords, I don't really have any other goals in mind. So I guess we'll see what happens." He says.

"Guess, I should tell you brats about the Jutsu. Well unless you wanna get a head start on restoring your Clan, brat. Though I really wouldn't recommend fighting while pregnant." They hear a familiar voice say.

Suki feels her face burn bright red. Damn it! Kisame must have woken up and he had just gotten one Hell of a show. That was all they needed really!

"Stay out of this, Fishface. You're such a freak. You could have let us know you were up instead of watching us. Damn voyeur!" The violet eyed Criminal Ninja snaps at him.

"Nah. I didn't see a point in ruining the fun. I wonder what Itachi would think about this though? His baby sister is all grown up and seducing Prodigies in the Art of Murder. You sure know how to pick em. I guess you're both little bloodthirsty brats, so it makes sense. A match made in Hell." The Akatsuki Membe continues on merrily.

The last female Uchiha feels herself twitch. She definitely did not appreciate her prisoner's smart mouthed comments on her love life. As far as she was concerned, it was none of his business.

If it wasn't Karin's business, it certainly wasn't his. Karin was her teammate. Kisame was Itachi's teammate. The red head had more of a right to know than the shark lover! That much was for certain.

"If you're done, let's get onto more important things than you fantasizing about our love lives." She hisses at Kisame.

The Uchiha quickly gets off of Suigetsu and makes her way over to the blue skinned man. She moved almost faster than either of them could blink. Revenge was a highly motivating factor, it seemed.

"Your love lives? Oh so you love him. Well that's sweet. Really. It's cute. Hopefully, you both don't get your hearts torn out before you can say, I do." He continues taunting them.

SMACK! Suki brings her fist down hard against the other ninja's cheek. She had had enough of his jeers. Suki Uchiha was going to get answers out of him and she was going to get them now!

"You're such an idiot. I have no idea how my brother put up with you as long as he did. He's probably glad that you're no longer slowing him down." The young woman hisses.

"You're a vicious little thing. I can definitely see the family resemblance now. You're going to have to try a lot harder than that to hurt my feelings though, sweetheart." He warns her with a smirk and it was at that moment, that Suki realized Kisame was likely insane.


	10. An Official Thing

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Suki and Suigetsu decide to make their relationship more official.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's Note: Thanks for the reviews. I hope that you all enjoy this chapter.
> 
> Chapter Notations: I feel that Suki's invention is a plausible one because Sasuke was shown as being rather creative and clever in the show. For example, he fooled Danzo with Genjutsu and defeated Deidara with strategy. This chapter also contains a completely not cannon explanation for how Suki obtained the Mangekyo Sharingan. This is an AU. So that's why there will be some important details like that, that will diverge radically from cannon.

Suki couldn't believe that Kisame had caught them _together_! Wait. Why did she care? It was none of his business and it wasn't like anyone would believe him, if he ran his mouth about their relationship.

Not that they had an actual relationship. At the moment, they were teammates who occasionally kissed and curled up next to each other. It was still relatively innocent.

"So you're going to tell us everything you know about Itachi, if you don't want me to turn you into sushi." Suki informs Kisame as she holds her own sword against the criminal's throat.

"It's disturbingly hot when you threaten to kill a guy. You know that, right?" Suigetsu asks.

Suki glares at Suigetsu. He was so not helping! She had to scare Kisame. That was the only way that he was going to talk. If the Akatsuki saw that he was flirting with her, Kisame wasn't going to be frightened.

"You two are cute in a psychotic way." Kisame says as he laughs.

Wonderful. The man was _laughing_ at her! This was not going according to plan. Forget the handcuffs! She needed a gag!

"Thanks." Suigetsu says brightly and Suki rolls her eyes.

"When I get done with you, you're going to regret saying that." Suki says as she presses the sword harder against his jugular.

A thin line of blood appears, after she does so. Suki smirks. That ought to get Kisame's attention. That should show the criminal that she meant business.

"Yeah. That's nice of you to say and all. I'm gonna feel really guilty, if we have to kill you. So go on and tell us what the Hell is going on. If you do, the only thing that I'll take from you is your sword. If not, well Suki might cut off your other sword. You know what I mean?" The snowy haired ninja inquires cheerfully.

That was a bit frightening. Suigetsu was talking about her slicing off a rather important part of the male anatomy, rather casually. Then again, this was Suigetsu. There was a reason why he was called a Prodigy in the Art of Murder.

"Brat, you've gotten really vicious. Though I guess you are just showing off for your girlfriend here. I wonder what Itachi is going to say about all this." He continues, clearly delighting in taunting them.

"I'll be sure to ask him, right before I kill him. Now, tell me where he went." Suki snarls at him as she presses the sword against his throat harder.

Kisame was an Akatsuki. That meant that he didn't scare easily. That was alright though. Suki would find a way to make him talk.

"Love the spirit brat, but you're no match for him. He might have one foot in the grave, but Itachi is tough." He says.

_One foot in the grave._ What did that mean? Was Itachi sick or was Kisame just referring to one of the many bounties on his head?

"You better start talking, Fishface. I'll make you into shark finned soup, if you don't. It's not polite to keep a lady waiting." Suigetsu says.

Well at least now he was trying to help. Though it did amuse Suki to hear Suigetsu, lecture someone else about manners. That had to be a first.

"Oh right. Where are my manners? That's right. You didn't know. Kid, you really have no idea what's going on behind the scenes. I actually feel bad for ya. Your head has been filled with cobwebs for years and you never had any clue." Kisame says with a smirk.

He was annoying. Suki was considering just dispatching him. Her brother wouldn't have a partner for awhile. That would make him more vulnerable and if Kisame was telling the truth, he was already sick.

This could be the perfect time to strike. She could send Itachi straight to Hell. At long last, the Uchiha would could avenge her Clan and get on with her life!

"Enlighten me then. What do you know that I don't?" She asks as she slides her sword further up until it was against his face.

She could feel Suigetsu's eyes on her. Whether he was worried or excited, Suki didn't know. The man did seem to truly love killing. For all she knew, he might be getting just as excited by this as her kiss.

That was a disturbing thought. Suki was going to enjoy killing Itachi and she would kill, if it was in self-defense. That didn't mean that she enjoyed it though. She enjoyed proving she was stronger than other people, but not murder.

"Oh I know a lot of stuff." Kisame tells her with a smirk.

"He's awake. Has he said anything useful?" Jugo's voice calls out.

The gentle giant must have woken up. Well that meant three members of Taka were awake and they only had one prisoner. Surely, one of them could get the Akatsuki Member to talk.

"He's implied that Itachi is sick, but he hasn't said with what or given us a location. So yes and no." Suki retorts.

"Oh it's Jugo of the Scales. Is that what you're planning on doing? Gonna sick him on me and hope that his scary side makes me talk? Not a bad plan, Princess. It won't work though. I don't scare easily." Kisame says.

* * *

A few days later, Itachi was still trying to avoid detection. The ninjas who had almost stumbled up on him and Obito were hot on his tail..

He couldn't risk being captured. There was only one safe harbor left to him. Mei. It was time to become Dai again. It was selfish, but he was going to make good use of the safety the beautiful woman offered him. After all, she wanted to do so.

"I would like to speak with Lady Mei, please." He says, upon entering the building where her office was housed.

"Of course, Dai. We shall notify her of your presence, right away. Our Lady is going to be so pleased to see you. She missed you greatly whilst you were away." One of the guards says to him.

That just made him feel guilty. Mei wouldn't feel that way, if she knew the truth. If the woman knew that he wasn't Dai, the Kage would revile him for deceiving her.

"I missed her as well." Itachi says as he waits patiently.

For the moment, he was stable. Obito was right though. That wouldn't last. He had to make the most of his temporary good health while it did.

Scarcely a minute later, Mei comes bounding out of her office and towards him. It didn't take long for her to embrace him. Itachi found himself smiling into the embrace, despite the situation.

"Dai! You're alright! I was so worried!" She exclaims.

"Yes, I'm alive. It's all thanks to the treatment that your people gave me. I will forever be in your debt. Besides, you needn't worry so. My rose didn't die. So you had to know that I wasn't dead." He chides her gently as he kisses her forehead.

"Well not being dead and being alright are two different things." Mei says with a smile.

He really wished that things were different. Itachi wished that somehow, he could have prevented that night. He wished that he wasn't sick and that his sister hadn't had to suffer as much as she did. Perhaps most of all though, the Uchiha wished that his relationship with the Kage wasn't based on a lie.

"That is most assuredly true. I hope that you don't mind, my sudden return. I should have sent word, but I just didn't have the time. Someone was following me." Itachi says with a sigh.

"Those were likely my people. I sent them out to search for Suki Uchiha. If you were close to her, it's possible that they followed you by mistake or thought that you would lead them to her." The woman admits sheepishly.

That explained a great deal. Mentally, Itachi curses himself for not foreseeing that possibility. Of course, Mei was going to try to help him.

The woman fancied herself in love with him. Well actually, he didn't doubt her sincerity. Mei probably was deeply in love with Dai. She wasn't in love with Itachi Uchiha though.

"Oh I see. I must admit that they gave me quite the scare. I thought perhaps I could wait here until they lost the trail, but it seems that's not an issue." He says thoughtfully.

"You should still wait here. Other Leaf Villagers can find her, Dai. You don't need to push yourself like this. You're a very sick man. What you need is proper treatment." Mei tells him.

Such sincerity. He hated it. Itachi hated that she had been nothing, but genuine with him and he couldn't do the same for her. No matter how much he wanted to, Itachi Uchiha couldn't be honest with the woman who loved him.

"I suppose that it couldn't hurt to undergo another treatment or two, but I must press on afterwards. I made a promise that I was going to take care of Suki Uchiha and I meant it." He states firmly.

_He was only thirteen when he was faced with that impossible choice. His family or the village as a whole. Potentially even his family or the Ninja World as a whole. Sadly, Itachi knew what he had to do._

_He had to end this. Perhaps, he could at least give them quick, painless deaths. It had certainly worked for Izumi. He had saved his parents for last though._

_"Do it." Fugaku told his eldest son._

_"I never wanted it to come to this. Surely, you must know that. It was agreed that Sasuke could be spared. He was too young to have anything to do with the plot." He whispered, feeling a silent tear slide down his cheek._

_Itachi Uchiha knew that was only one of many more to come. Soon enough, they would start flowing like a river and he doubted it would be days before they stopped. For now though, he brushed it away from his cheek. He had a job to do. This was for Sasuke._

_"That was generous of them." Fugaku remarked bitterly._

_"I can make your deaths quick. Painless. Please don't fight me." The younger Uchiha half begged._

_"Such a kind son. Promise me, that you'll take care of Suki." Mikoto said in an even voice._

_His mother always so poised and graceful. The woman was heading straight towards her death, but she didn't even flinch. The woman didn't even look at him with her back towards Itachi. Her final thoughts only of him and his younger brother._

_"I will. I promise." Itachi vowed as he dealt the two blows that would end the lives of the Uchiha Patriarch and Matriarch._

"I wish that you weren't so stubborn. There are many people who could find her." Mei says with a said sigh as she caresses her cheek.

"It has to be me. It's my duty." He whispers back as he kisses her hand.

* * *

At that same time, Taka had found a family that was willing to let them stay with them a few days. Well as long as they were willing to pay for it. That wasn't an issue though.

"Awe. That was cruel, brat! You took all my money!" Kisame scolds Suigetsu.

Karin and Suki were out helping to prepare dinner and Jugo was helping the man of the house mend a fence. As for him and Kisame, somehow they got stuck feeding the livestock.

It was another farm. Suigetsu really hated farms. Give him a house by the beach, any day. He didn't see the appeal of all this backbreaking labor to grow food when you could just cash fish or something.

"A Criminal Ninja is complaining about getting robbed. Now, I've heard everything." Suigetsu says.

Kisame no longer had the chakra cuffs on him. That would be too suspicious. Instead, somehow Suki had smashed the cuffs up and made a chakra bracelet. It prevented him from using his chakra and damn thing wouldn't come off without the password.

How Suki had done that, he really wasn't sure. The girl was as smart as she was hot. That meant that she was a genius and Suigetsu wasn't gonna question said geniusness. (He knew that wasn't a real word, but it was the principle of the thing).

"Pft. What? You've never heard of the expression, never steal from a thief?" The formerly blue skinned man asks.

Taka had decided that Kisame's blue skin was just a little too exotic. It made them too easy to track. So Karin had done some sort of Genjutsu that made the man's skin look more like Jugo's skin tone.

It was disorientating to say the least. Seeing Kisame walking around and looking like a normal person was just weird. Still it had done the trick and Suigetsu wasn't about to complain.

"Whatever." Suigetsu says as he throws some seeds into the ground.

"You sound a bit frustrated. Have a fight with the girlfriend?" The other Criminal Ninja asks.

Girlfriend. That was a bit of a stretch. He wasn't really sure what he and Suki were. He knew that she was attracted to him and despite her protests to the contrary, the Uchiha definitely enjoyed his attention. Beyond that though, he didn't know.

"Not exactly. Not that it's any of your business." He grumbles.

"She wants to kill Itachi. The girl is frustrated. She doesn't know the full story. If she's taking that out on you, it's not your fault." He says.

"Suki isn't taking it out on me. I just don't know where we stand. Oh just forget it! I'm going to go check on the girls." He girls and storms off to do exactly that.

* * *

That's when he heads into the kitchen. It looked like the wife of the family had slipped out. So it was just Suki and Karin. They were talking about her Mangekyo Sharingan.

"So how did you get it, anyway? I thought that was only possible because of a great trauma." Karin asks.

"Orochimaru had me take all kinds of injections. They were supposed to build my immunity to various poisons. Some of them had negative side effects. Hallucinations. I saw something that I thought was real and it activated my Mangekyo Sharingan." She whispers.

Suigetsu frowns. For something to scare Suki that much, it had to be a big deal. He didn't like the thought of his Ice Princess being that genuinely terrified of something.

"What did you see? I mean you don't have to tell me. You can, if you want though." The Sensory Type says encouragingly.

"I saw my best friend's death. I saw Naruto die. Violently." The last female Uchiha whispers as she turns her attention back to the cooking.

That bothered him. She was upset because she saw Blondie die. So upset that her Mangekyo had activated.

On some level, Suigetsu knew that it was ridiculous to feel jealous about this. Suki hadn't even met him at that point. So what did it matter, if she was upset about some other guy?

"Just ignore it." He whispers to himself.

* * *

A few hours pass and Suigetsu growls. He couldn't ignore it. It was bugging him too much. He needed to know who the Ice Princess preferred.

Him or the stupid blonde? It was going to eat him alive, if he didn't know. Suigetsu knew that he shouldn't care, but he did. That was why he heads to Suki's room and pushes her against the wall with her back towards him.

"Suigetsu? What's wrong with you?!" Suki demands half in confusion and half in righteous outrage.

"I heard you talking to Karin about your Mangekyo. It activated because you thought that Blondie died. The thought of him dying, upset you enough to activate it." He says.

Suki blinks. Suigetsu had heard that? She bites her lower lip and squirms. Was the violet eyed ninja actually jealous? That might explain his currently very strange behavior towards her.

"That's true. Now, what about that fact necessitates me getting pinned to the wall?" She growls warningly at him.

"I really don't want to be that guy, but I have to know. If you had a choice, would it be him or me?" He asks.

He was jealous. Suigetsu was jealous of Naruto. He was really, really jealous. Apparently, he just wasn't very good at expressing it in a nonphysical way.

"Suigetsu, you're being ridiculous. He's not even here. Now, get off of me." Suki warns him.

What disturbed her most of all was the fact that she was actually happy about that on some level. Suki was happy that he _cared_ enough to get jealous. More importantly though, she had to make sure that he didn't do something stupid.

"Alright, but I want an answer." He says as he lets go off her and Suki turns around to face him.

She never expected him to get jealous to this extent. Sure, Suigetsu was possessive. Well at least when it came to his swords, but she never thought that would transfer over to _her_.

"You already have your answer." Suki replies as she eyes him warily.

She wasn't at all sure what this version of Suigetsu would do. Suki wasn't afraid for her physical safety. More like she was worried about his. If he actually thought that she was in love with Naruto, did Suigetsu plan to pick a fight with him?

"I don't really think that I do, Princess. Before you give me your official answer, I want you to consider something." Suigetsu tells her before he caresses her cheek with one hand and the curve of her backside with the other.

Suki feels herself shiver. It wasn't from fear though. No. Another emotion entirely was now coursing through her veins, making her eyes turn ruby red. Desire.

How could just a few simple touches elicit that sort of reaction in her? Was this normal? Would it have felt this good, if anyone did it. For some reason, Suki doubted it.

"And what should I consider?" She dares herself to ask.

"Would you let him kiss you like this? Can he make you moan like I can?" Suigetsu asks and before she could answer, she felt his lips against hers.

Just like that, she was gone. God, that felt good. Why, did it always feels good? She tries to bite back a moan as she returns the kiss, but it was absolutely useless.

Before she knew what was happening, Suigetsu had her back against the wall again. This time, she was facing him and wrapping her legs around his waist. Another moan escapes her lips when she feels their cores brush together. She was awash in a sea of sensations and that's when he broke the kiss.

"No. I wouldn't let him kiss me like that and I doubt he could make me feel this way. He's just a friend." She whispers, hoping that he didn't catch that small whimper when he broke the kiss.

Uchihas weren't supposed to whimper. That was borderline blasphemy, but she had. She had for him. This was really getting out of hand.

"Good. Like I said, I don't want to be that guy. I don't want to be the jealous boyfriend, but I couldn't really help it. When I heard that, I lost it. I mean, I tried to forget about it. I really did, but it didn't work." He says as he caresses her cheek and then leans down to place a trail of kisses along her neck.

"Mmm so don't be that guy. You can just be my not jealous boyfriend." She says as she sighs in pleasure.

So good. She was pathetic. A few kisses heated kisses and she was a mess. Her brother would laugh at her, if he saw her now. Suki knew that should bother her, but it didn't.

There was just something irresistible about these sensations. Addictive. It was if she had been in a desert all her life and suddenly, she had found an Oasis. An Oasis who just happened to be very, very good at necking.

"Is that what you want? You want us to be an official thing?" Suigetsu asks.

Damn him. He had stopped with the kissing. Suigetsu wasn't supposed to do that! He wasn't supposed to make her think when he was in the process of making her feel so _good!_

"I shouldn't. I shouldn't get attached to anyone now. Not until he's dead, but I think it's rather obvious that I am. Itachi knows that I care about you. You'll have a target on your back either way. If you want to make it official, I don't see why not." She says cautiously.

Suki really hated the way that her heart was now pounding. Rarely, had she ever been this scared. Kissing and some caressing was one thing, but being official was another.

Suigetsu might decide that he wasn't interested in that. He was a Criminal Ninja. It would be stupid to expect him to be interested in something like an actual relationship. Physical affection, sure. Dating though, well that was a stretch.

"In that case, it's a shame that you turned those chakra cuffs into a bracelet." Suigetsu replies with a smirk.

Suki just gapes at him. How could he go from being so serious to being such a lecher? It was astounding, really.

"You wish. You're my boyfriend now. That doesn't necessarily mean that you're my lover." The raven haired woman warns him.

"Yeah. Yeah. I know. You want to kill your brother before that. I get it. Don't worry. I can be patient. I mean I've been after those swords for years. When I have to be, I can be patient. I'm not going to lie though, I want to see where else you're sensitive besides your neck." The white haired ninja teases her with a seductive purr to his voice.

Suki gulps. What had she just gotten herself into. She imagined that after Itachi was dead, Suigetsu was going to embark on his own personal treasure hunt. The other ninja would likely mark down her every sensitive spot.

"J-Just my neck." She lies as she feels her face heat up.

"Oh come on, Princess. I know that even you don't believe that. It's okay. You don't have to be embarrassed. I just want to make you feel good is all. So good that you won't even remember Blondie's name because you'll be too busy screaming mine." Suigetsu says as he nibbles on her ear.

"Mmm. I thought that you didn't want to be that guy." Suki squirms in pleasure.

Suigetsu was definitely possessive. Logically, Suki knew that should annoy her or even make her anxious. It didn't though. Instead, she found it strangely hot.

"I said that I didn't want to be that guy. Not that I wasn't. I'm working on it." He informs her, rather bluntly.


	11. We're Official Now

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Everything seems to be going well for Taka, until the Leaf finds them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's Note: Thanks for the reviews. I hope that you all enjoy this chapter.
> 
> Chapter Notation: There is some flirtation and teasing going on in this chapter. I don't know if I should call it 'crack' or not, but Suki does have fun winding Suigetsu up. She can be mean sometimes, but Suigetsu will get even later on in the story.

"So I was thinking." Suigetsu says, later that day as he caresses Suki's cheek.

"Mmm that's never a good sign. What were you thinking about?" The Uchiha woman replies sassily.

That was Suki for you though. She was definitely sassy. Hmm. That was a good idea for a pet name. That and he was still going to keep Princess because it suited her. Now, he had TWO good terms of endearment for the sexy ninja.

"Funny, Sassy. Very funny. Well since we're officially together now and everything, I thought we could just share a room. I'd rather snuggle up to you than Kisame." He says brightly.

He felt rather proud of himself. Suigetsu had gotten Suki to acknowledge her feelings for him and now he had pet names for her. They were totally official now!

"I'm sure that you would, but that's not going to happen." Suki says firmly.

Damn. She sure knew how to hurt a guy. Sassy was back to being his hot Ice Princess again. Yeah. He knew that didn't make any sense, but who needed logic when you had a gorgeous girlfriend?

"Awe, come on. Why not? You didn't mind sleeping night to me the other day. Actually, you looked rather comfortable. Snuggled up to me like my own personal sex kitten." He says smugly.

Suki's ivory cream colored skin suddenly turns a rather pretty shade of pink and Suigetsu smirks. Ah ha! He had made the Ice Princess blush. Now, he was getting somewhere.

"I think that Karin might have whacked you around one too many times. I'm no one's kitten. That and we still have to deal with Itachi. After my brother is dead, we can discuss sleeping arrangements." The raven haired woman decrees.

Man, he really wanted to kill Itachi. If it wasn't for him, Suki would probably have already agreed to new sleeping arrangements. Of course, Suigetsu knew that it was unlikely that the Sharingan User would allow him to go much further than necking. Still it was the principle of the thing!

"I don't know. I think that you are. If you weren't, you wouldn't have agreed to make things official between us. You're just like a cat. Beautiful, graceful, tough, bossy, and very particular about who you'll let get near you. So that nickname is going to stay, Princess." He continues on.

Suigetsu knew that he was flirting with pain here. It wouldn't surprise him if Suki fired off a Chidori or at least a fireball in his direction for that comment. Despite that, he couldn't resist teasing her.

The Uchiha woman was _hot_ when she got furious. As long as he knew that it was the annoyed fury and not the genuine fury. There was a difference. He didn't want to actually upset her.

"I guess the cat analogy in general is pretty accurate, but not the more sexual connotation to it." She grumbles.

"Alright. I'll drop that nickname, if you'll change sleeping arrangements. Come on, Princess. I won't bite. Well not unless you are into that sorta thing." The violet eyed ninja says with a smirk.

Yeah. He was pushing his luck. Suigetsu couldn't help it though. She was far too much fun to rile up.

"You're such a pervert." Suki mutters as she crosses her arms.

That was adorable. She looked so cute when she was mad like that. It was the closest that he had ever seen her get to pouting.

"Well yeah. You don't seem to mind though. Not really. You protest too much. Besides, wouldn't it be more fun sleeping with me than Karin. I could give you a nice, relaxing massage. You're too wound up. You know that you can't fight Itachi, if your body locks up from too much stress." Suigetsu tries to reason with her.

"That's true. Karin can be a little annoying. Sometimes. Her heart is in the right place though." Suki responds cautiously.

She was speaking slowly. There were pauses between her words. That meant that he was really getting somewhere.

"Exactly. That and you know that I'm right about the Itachi thing." He continues on sagely.

"Maybe. A massage does sound nice." Suki says as she wraps her arms around his neck.

Whoa. Now, he was really getting somewhere. He might actually score a gorgeous roommate tonight, after all!

"Anything you want. Just as long as I get to hear those sexy little moans of yours." The sword lover promises.

"Mmm you like my moans, huh?" Suki purrs dangerously in his ear.

Suigetsu shivers. That was new. He definitely liked this purring thing. Actually, Suki was surprisingly vocal when it came it came to intimacy. Well at least the type of intimacy that they've had so far.

Admittedly, that wasn't nearly as much as he would have liked. Suigetsu wasn't going to complain though. What they had done so far had been lots of fun. He was just eager to have even more fun.

"Yeah. Definitely like the sexy moans. Oh and that cute little whimper that you did. That was hot." He tells her.

"Glad you think so." Suki says as she lays head on his shoulder.

"If you want, I could draw us up a nice, hot bubble bath. Give you a massage. Maybe you could give me one too. No reason to go to bed dirty and stressed out, right?" He asks.

He probably should have known that something was up. Suki usually played more coy. The girl liked to pretend that she didn't want attention for some reason, but now she was actually initiating stuff and that was just too good to pass up.

"That does sound nice, but do you know what I think?" Suki asks him.

"No. What do you think?" He asks hopefully, wondering if some of his more thorough fantasies were about to come true.

"I think that you should take a nice, cold shower. I like kissing you and I like being held by you. More than I should, really. I'm not stupid though. I need to focus on killing Itachi first and you're distracting me. I'll see you in the morning." Suki says as she saunters off.

Suigetsu just gapes at Suki as he watches her walk off. What the Hell had just happened? One minute, they had been considering a bubble bath and the next minute, she had just left him hanging.

"Tease." He grumbles as he watches his girlfriend leave.

He had walked right into that one. Honestly, he probably should have known better. He'd never been THAT lucky. That didn't change the fact that he was so going to get her back for this later though!

* * *

Meanwhile Itachi had just finished receiving another treatment. It was getting harder and harder to leave. It was tempting just to live out the rest of his days as Dai with Mei.

Suki would never need to know. He could fake his death. As long as he didn't have any children that manifested the Sharingan, everything should be okay. Though the children might look like the real him and not Dai. That could be a problem.

"If I stayed, I wouldn't have any children. Mei is already in her thirties. It wouldn't be that unusual, if we didn't have children." He mutters to himself.

As tempting as that thought was, he knew better. Itachi owed this to Suki. He owed her a sense of closure. Once he was dead, she would be able to move on with his life and maybe, he would be able to find some sense of peace in the afterlife.

"How are you feeling?" Mei asks as she walks through the door to check on him.

The only problem was Mei. He knew that his death was going to hurt her. Itachi didn't want that at all, but it had to be done. This had been predestined since the fall of his Clan. Nothing was going to change that.

"Much better. Thank you." He says with a smile.

She always made him smile. It was a cruel irony, really. Perhaps in another life, they would be together. That would be nice. Itachi would like that.

"You're welcome. Are you still determined to pursue her? Are you still going to chase after Suki Uchiha?" She whispers as she sits on the bed and caresses his cheek.

Her touch was gentle and kind. Almost divine, really. It was a tragedy, that he knew the truth. This was nothing, but a temporary respite from the reality of his world.

"Yes, I am still determined. I made a promise to my village and I intend to keep it. I do believe that we have been over this all before." He says firmly.

"I know. I keep hoping that you will change your mind. If you continue on this course of action, that rose might wilt." The Kage whispers in a horrified voice.

The rose might wilt and he might die. That's what she really meant to say and they both knew it. Unfortunately, there was no other way. This was the way that things had to be.

He wished that he could explain things to her. Itachi wished that he could make her see why he had to die. Why he had to leave her, but he couldn't.

"If that happens, I want you to remember one very important thing. I was happy with you. You made me feel things that I truly didn't believe that I was ever going to feel. Things that I didn't deserve to feel and I don't regret my time with you." Dai informs her.

It sounded too much like goodbye, even to Itachi's own ears. He could only imagine what it sounded like to Mei. Still it was best to soften the blow of his impending demise. It might hurt her less that way.

She was innocent in all this. It wasn't Mei's fault that he had massacred most of his own Clan. The Leaf had decided a long time ago, that it would kill off the Uchiha Clan. He had just been the one to do it. If he hadn't, someone else would have been forced to fulfill the role of the butcher.

"I don't regret my time with you either. I just wish that you would see reason. There are many people who can find Suki. You don't have to throw your life away." The woman pleads with him.

She really did deserve better than this. Itachi could only hope that the memory of Dai, wouldn't prevent her from making new memories with someone else. It was time to talk to her about that.

"Before I die, I want you to know something else. Don't close your heart to everyone. I'm certain that there is someone out there who will make you incredibly happy. You deserve that." Itachi says.

"You might not die. This conversation might all be for naught. We really shouldn't jinx you like this." The beautiful ninja pleads with him.

He sighs and nods. Well. Itachi still had to try. He didn't want to be the one that would doom Mei to a life of loneliness.

"Just promise me, that you'll try. If it happen, you'll try to find happiness with someone else." Dai begs her.

"I promise that I will, but I hope that it doesn't come to that." She whispers as they exchange a kiss.

* * *

Back at the farmhouse, Kisame was relaxing in his room when he hears Suigetsu come in. To say the least, the kid looked incredibly frustrated. This should be funny.

"You don't look too happy. What happened?" Kisame asks in amusement.

"Suki. We're official now. That's the good news. The bad news is that she's an evil tease." He growls.

Oh poor kid. Itachi's little sister wasn't so little anymore. She was all grown up and giving his fellow swordsman a bad case of blue kunais.

"Kid, is she your first girlfriend?" The Akatsuki Member inquires slyly.

"What? No! Of course not! Well kinda. I mean I did flirt with some of the less freaky Sound Girls." He says defensively.

"Uh huh. Meaning that you're actually an innocent little murderer. That's cute, kid. Really, kid. That's probably what your problem is. You gave up too easily. Tell me exactly what she said." Kisame orders him.

Obviously, the brat needed his help. The Akatsuki Member didn't mind giving it to him. Suigetsu was a Prodigy in the Art of Murder. In a strange way, he was probably the closest thing to a son that Kisame was ever going to have. So he'd help him out a bit with his girlfriend, even if Itachi would probably kill him for it later.

_"I think that you should take a nice, cold shower. I like kissing you and I like being held by you. More than I should, really. I'm not stupid though. I need to focus on killing Itachi first and you're distracting me. I'll see you in the morning."_ Suigetsu mimics her.

"Well, congratulations. You must have done something right." Kisame offers.

"What do you mean? If I had done something right, I would be her roommate. Not yours. No offense." He says with a sigh.

Kisame chuckles. Ah the brats today could be so impatient. Oh well. He'd just have to straighten him out.

"She called you a distraction. That meant that whatever you were doing or saying was good enough that it was taking her mind off Itachi. Considering how much she wants to kill him, that's a pretty big deal." Kisame says.

"Hmm. Maybe, you're right. So what should I do?" Suigetsu asks a bit warily.

Kisame couldn't blame him for his reaction. After all, he was an S Class Criminal Ninja. The other man really didn't have any way of knowing what might come out of his mouth. That was okay though. Kisame was going to have a lot of fun with this.

"She's Itachi's sister. So it's hard to say what will specifically get her going. Though there are some things that are universal. In your case, keep going. If she really is protesting, she'll just Chidori you or something." Kisame suggests.

"Yeah. I guess that's true. Maybe, if I had tried just a little bit harder…" He trails off with a sigh.

"That's the spirit. So what are you going for exactly? This just something your doing because she's a pretty little thing and she's available or are you actually trying to get Itachi's baby sister to fall in love with you?" He inquires curiously.

He sees Suigetsu pause and Kisame briefly notes all the reasons why the other man might pause before answering. He could simply be embarrassed to admit that he was playing the field. There was also the chance that Suigetsu was worried that Ksiame would tell Suki whatever he said. Finally, there was the possibility that his little prodigy might actually be in love with the Uchiha Brat.

"Well at first I guess it was mostly the first option. She's beautiful. You know? I didn't think that anything was actually going to happen. Now, we're official and I want to take things further. I think that she's mostly being "shy" because she wants to deal with Itachi first though. Like you said, I was distracting her from that." Suigetsu admits.

"Well honesty is always the best policy in situations like this. If you really want her though, you know you're going to have to be open to the idea of fatherhood. That's going to be a deal breaker for her. I'm not saying that you have to be willing to become a father tomorrow, but eventually you know that's going to happen." Kisame warns him.

The other criminal nods as he considers how to respond to that. The shark lover wasn't really sure whether or not that thought had occurred to Suigetsu before. In a way, it didn't matter though. The kid had a right to know what he was potentially getting into.

"I never really thought about it before. I guess I don't mind. It might be fun to teach them how to use swords. Plus the actual baby making part sounds fun." He says with a grin.

Oh boy. Kisame didn't know much about fathers, but he was pretty sure that it was a little more involved than just teaching a kid how to swing a sword. (Though to be fair, that was an important thing to teach someone who was going to become a ninja and potentially a great family bonding activity).

"That's a start, I suppose. Suki is probably going to want to hear you say that in a more convincing fashion though. It's not like getting a pet, Suigetsu." He warns him.

"Yeah. Yeah. I know. So what's next?" The white haired man asks excitedly.

That was a good question. What's need, indeed. Suki was an unusual case. It was hard to know what she'd respond to.

"You'll likely have to initiate most of the time. At least at first. Know when to back off though. Hold your ground as long as you can, naturally. Someone like Suki values determination and strength. Figure out how she likes to be touched. It's also cliché, but it's hard to go wrong with flowers. I really don't know what it is with women and flowers." He tells him with a chuckle.

"Yeah. I never really got the whole flower thing either. Do you really think that that would work on someone like Suki though?" Suigetsu asks.

"Can't hurt to try." Kisame replies with a shrug.

* * *

That's when Jugo comes rushing into their room and Kisame's eyes narrow. That wasn't a good sign. That was the opposite of a good sign, really.

"Suki says that we have to move out. The Leaf's Retrieval Team is heading this way and fast." He shouts.

That was all that it took. The sword lovers quickly grab what they could carry and head out with the others. They needed to put as much distance between them and the Retrieval Team as possible.

"You alright?" Suigetsu asks Suki as they flit side by side.

"I'm fine. We just have to lose them. This is going to be really annoying." She says with a sigh.

It was nice that Suigetsu cared enough to ask. She did feel a little guilty about earlier, but mostly she felt rather smug about the entire affair. She could easily lead him around by his kunai.

Truthfully, Suki was relieved to know that she could impact him in that way. The raven haired woman had been beginning to wonder, if Suigetsu was able to distract her more than she could him. Now, there wasn't any doubt about the power dynamics about their relationship. They were equal in that respect.

"Yeah. That's one way to describe it. He better not hassle you." Suigetsu growls.

"The jealousy thing is cute, but it's not needed." Suki tells him as she intertwines her fingers with his and they race off, hand in hand.

Well it was cute up to a point anywhere. Suki was actually rather worried about what Suigetsu and Naruto would do, if they ran into each other again. She just hoped that she wouldn't have to find out.

"I don't know. He's pretty freaking obsessed with you. Not that I can blame him for that part, but seriously. The guy needs to get a clue." Her boyfriend says.

Suki couldn't argue with that. Naruto needed to learn when no meant no. She didn't want to go back to the Leaf yet. She couldn't. Why he couldn't understand that was beyond her.

That's when they came to a forest and Suki tenses up. She could sense Naruto's chakra and he wasn't alone. The other members of the Rookie Nine were with him again. Damn it.

"Suki! You're okay!" The blonde calls out to her.

"Yeah. She's fine. No thanks to you. Back off. She doesn't want to go back with you and she doesn't need to be rescued!" Suigetsu practically snarls at Naruto.

It was probably wrong, but that was kinda hot. She liked the way that he'd get possessive about her. Though Suki was smart enough to realize that she did need to deal with this and quickly. Things were threatening to spiral out of control.

"That was an accident! You're the one that should back off. You barely know her!" Naruto thunders at Suigetsu.

"Oh yeah? Well I'm her boyfriend! You're just her stalker. Her stalker that needs to get a clue. She's my Suki. Not your Suki. Got it?" He yells at him.

Suki blinks. She wasn't really sure how she felt about the my Suki thing, but she decides she'd worry about that later. Right now, they needed to get out of here. The last female Uchiha didn't have time for this.

She had to find Itachi. Once he was dead, maybe she'd go back to the Leaf. He wasn't dead yet though. Naruto really needed to get that through his thick head.

"Wait. What?! Suki, are you really dating this creep?" Naruto snaps at her.

"First of all, he's not a creep. Secondly, yes. I am dating him. Third, it's really none of your business. Naruto, just go back to the Leaf. I'll be fine. I know what I'm doing." She says.

"You're kidding, right? You expect us to just leave you out here with these weirdoes?" Kiba asks.

Suki groans. Great. Now the Inuzuka was insulting her team. She doubted that Suigetsu was going to take that lightly.

That and she could only hope that Jugo wouldn't lose it. That would just end in disaster. Why were all Leaf Ninjas so damn stubborn?!

"Kiba, that's not nice. We're here to take Suki home. We aren't here to make fun of her friends." Hinata stammers out.

Well points to the Hyuga Heiress. At least someone could focus on business. Sadly, Suki knew what she had to do.

She was going to have to fight them or outrun them. Knowing the current team that she was looking at, outrunning them didn't seem likely. Damn it. Fight them it was.

"Suki, it's time to go home. Come on. You don't actually want to be out here, do you? You can probably talk Tsunade into letting your boyfriend join the village, if you want." Sakura offers.

That was an idea. Maybe, she could talk Tsunade into letting Suigetsu join. After all, she was going to have Karin come with her. Suigetsu would be a harder sell, but it was possible.

Once she brought the Leaf Itachi's head head on a platter, they'd be more willing to negotiate. It was the perfect plan, really. Suki was beginning to wonder why she hadn't thought of it before, actually.

"Maybe, later. For now, I have other things to do. Jugo, Suigetsu, Karin, and Kisame, execute Maneuver Number 346." She says.

Maneuver Number 346 was the escape move. It was their best shot. If they could fan out with enough clones, maybe their real selves could get away.

"I'm not going to let you run away this time!" Naruto shouts.

"You don't have a choice. Didn't you hear her? She doesn't want to go with you." Suigetsu hisses at the blonde and Suki winces as she realizes that at least one member of Taka wouldn't be executing that particular move. (Suigetsu was going to stay and fight).


	12. My Suigetsu

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Team Taka squares off against the Leaf as Suki and Suigetsu continue to grow ever closer.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's Note: Thanks for the reviews. I hope that you all enjoy this chapter.

Damn it! This couldn't be happening! Suigetsu was going to try to fight Naruto. That wasn't what Suki wanted to do. She wanted to get out of there.

The last thing that she wanted was for her boyfriend to fight her friend. As much as she didn't like to admit it, Naruto was still her friend. Her incredibly stubborn and infuriating friend, but her friend.

"Suigetsu! Knock it off!" She hisses as she hears the sound of steel clashing.

Suigetsu had already swung his sword at Naruto, but Naruto had blocked it somewhat with his kunai. Suki didn't care fro the way that the violet eyed ninja's sword was pressing on that weapon. It was getting far too close to Naruto's arms.

"Suki! What do we do?!" Karin asks desperately.

The other woman wasn't sure whether she should run or not. Suki bites her lower lip as she considers her options. She could let Suigetsu fight him and the two of them could potentially kill each other or she would have to intervene.

"Karin, Jugo, take Kisame out of here. I'll deal them." Suki calls out.

"Are you sure that's wise? He's got a full team with him." Jugo asks in concern.

Suki finds herself smiling despite the situation at that response. She didn't fully understand it, but Jugo considered himself her Shield. He wanted to protect her because she reminded him of his dead friend. It was sweet in a rather morbid way.

"I'm sure. Go. We need Kisame too much to lose him. I'll make sure that Suigetsu doesn't get his dumbass killed or kill Naruto." Suki promises.

Jugo looks uncertain for a moment, but the gentle giant eventually nods. From that point on, it didn't take long for the other members of Taka and Kisame to hightail it out of there. Fortunately, they had agreed upon meeting places in case they ever got separated.

Suki and Suigetsu would be able to find them again. The only problem was making sure that her boyfriend and Naruto didn't kill each other off. Damn it. Why did everything have to be so complicated?

"You're such an idiot. She's told you at least a thousand times that she doesn't want to go back to the Leaf. What's so freaking hard to understand about that?!" Suigetsu demands as he and Naruto trade blows.

"She should be home with her friends. We can kill Itachi together. Not out wandering the countryside as a Criminal Ninja." Naruto retorts as he slams his kunai towards Suigetsu.

The Criminal Ninja manages to doge, but that didn't stop Naruto for long. He quickly charges up a Rasengan. Suki's eyes widen in horror as the blonde comes flying right at the member of Taka.

"Pft. Please. You have no idea who you're dealing with." Suigetsu says as he turns into water to avoid getting hit.

That might not have been his smartest move. The hit connected and Suigetsu was electrocuted. On the bright side, he hadn't been torn apart.

"What were you saying, you jerk?!" Naruto practically snarls at him.

"You're really annoying. I completely understand why Suki left your village, if everyone there is like you." Suigetsu hisses in pain as he becomes solid again.

"I guess I must have hit her harder than I thought, while we were training and fighting. Must have messed with her head, if she's actually dating you!" Naruto snarls at him as he forms shadow clones.

That's when Suki sees that Suigetsu was firing off his Water Bullets! No! This couldn't be happening.

"Like I said, get a clue. She doesn't want to go back to your stupid village! Don't be jealous. Maybe, she's dating me and not you because I actually listen to her! That and I'm damn sure that I'm a better kisser than you!" He states as continues shooting the bullets at the clones.

Sooner or later, one of those bullets was going to hit the real Naruto. Suki bites her lower lip as she stands frozen in horror for a moment. If Naruto really lost it though, he would _Go Kyuubi._

Naruto would tap into the power of the Nine Tailed Fox and then it would all be over. Suigetsu was strong. She wouldn't have recruited him, if he wasn't. That didn't mean that he could defeat Naruto when he was in Tailed Beast Mode though.

"Maybe, I shouldn't have told them to go." She whispers to herself.

Karin wouldn't have been able to help though. Jugo might have lost control. On second thought, she had probably made the right call.

Of course, that didn't make things any easier for her. Naruto and Suigetsu were no longer playing around, even the other members of the Rookie Nine didn't look sure what to do.

"Naruto!" Kiba calls out in concern.

"It's alright, Kiba. I got this. I've got this. Don't worry!" The blonde says reassuringly.

"Doesn't look like you've got this to me, Blondie. BANG! BANG! BANG!" Suigetsu says as more and more bullets strike the clones.

Suki watches anxiously as she sees that so far, he was only striking clones. Suigetsu couldn't tell the difference between the real Naruto and a clone, but she could.

She and Naruto had gone to the Academy together. They had been on the same team. She could tell the difference, but Suigetsu couldn't and that was a very good thing for Naruto.

"What a drag! They're moving too fast for me to get a lock on them!" Shikamaru growls in frustration.

That was probably a good thing. At least they couldn't cart them back to the Leaf, if the Retrieval Team couldn't catch Taka. Unfortunately, that didn't make Suigetsu or Naruto any safer.

"Naruto, be careful!" Sakura calls out.

It was the strangest sensation. Everything was happening so fast and yet, slow at the same time. Suki couldn't help but note that the other Rookies looked just as terrified as her.

They were terrified of losing Naruto. Suki was scared to death that she was going to lose Naruto, Suigetsu, or both. Her internal strife was interrupted by the loud clashing of metal once more.

"He's back to using his sword." She whispers to herself.

Suigetsu had inflated his arm with his Water Jutsu. He wanted more power. That wasn't a good sign. She wasn't really sure that Naruto would be able to hold him off with kunais now.

"AHHH!" Naruto hisses in pain as the sword slashes across his face, drawing a thin like of blood.

Naruto chose to be productive though. While Suigetsu was busy trying to turn that into a fight strike, the blonde grabbed his arm and sent the other man flying backwards. He sent him flying backwards into a tree.

"SUIGETSU!" Suki calls out his name desperately.

"It's alright, Sassy. I'm fine." He grunts in pain as he slowly gets up.

Almost immediately, the attacks resume. Suigetsu starts swinging his sword at Naruto madly and Naruto was trying to overwhelm him with clones so that he could get another Rasengan in.

"They're going to kill each other." Hinata whispers.

"We need to do something!" Choji agrees as he watches them intently, looking for an opening to help his friend.

This had gone on long enough and was getting far too dangerous. She didn't have a choice. The Uchiha knew what she had to do. She was going to have to grab them and Flicker them off. It was really her only shot.

With that in mind, the Uchiha darts over to the two combatants. It was a good thing that she had her Sharingan. It was probably the only reason that she was able to avoid getting shredded as she grabs onto both of them and teleports them off.

* * *

"Suki, what the Hell?!" Suigetsu demands as they reemerge in a clearing a few miles away.

"Yeah! Where are we?" Naruto asks as he looks around, more than a little wary.

Suki couldn't really blame him for that. Generally, being grabbed and teleported off ended badly. Sadly, she hadn't had any other choice. It was this or watch them cut each other into ribbons.

"Just a clearing that I knew was nearby. I'm not going to stand around and watch while either of you die." She mutters in disgust.

"Well I'd be happy to leave the idiot alone, if he would stop stalking you." Suigetsu says.

"I can't believe that you're actually dating this creep. Come on, we can figure out a way to kill Itachi in the Leaf." Naruto says.

Oh boy. She had a jealous boyfriend and a naïve Naruto deal with. He probably didn't even really understand why the Prodigy in the Art of Murder was so angry. That meant that it was up to her to straighten things out.

"You two are impossible. Suigetsu, the only one allowed to slap Naruto around is me." She says with a sigh.

"That's right!" Naruto says smugly and then he pauses as he fully processes what his friend said.

Suki shakes her head in disbelief. Honestly, half the time men acted like they were a separate species or something. It was the most bizarre thing.

"Hey, wait a minute! You do not slap me around! I'm totally stronger than you!" Naruto protests.

"Whatever, loser. You also don't get to slap around Suigetsu." She informs him.

"Ha! See?" Suigetsu demands arrogantly and Suki sighs exasperatedly.

She didn't know what she was going to do with them. Sugietsu and Naruto obviously hated each other. Though she was pretty sure that was only because they were both vying for her attention. Just in different ways.

Naruto wanted to "save" her. He wanted to bring her back to the Leaf. That was understandable. They were teammates and it wasn't like she really wanted to be a Criminal Ninja. Itachi had just forced her hand.

"Again, because that's my job." Suki says.

"Princess, you really know how to hurt a guy." Suigetsu grumbles.

Suigetsu wanted her in a different way. They were together now. Suigetsu must have been serious about her. He had saved her, after all and seemed very interested in changing sleeping arrangements.

That meant that she was in the middle of a turf war. She was glad that they cared, but she really had more important things to focus on than their kunai measuring match!

"This is getting annoying. So we'll compromise. Naruto, you tell the Leaf that I killed Orochimaru. Remind them that I'm after someone else that they also want dead. Itachi. After doing that, come find us. I'll send Aoda with you. He'll know where I am. So you'll be able to find me more easily. The Akatsuki are after the Tailed Beasts. You can be the bait." She states.

It was a gamble. There was a chance that it might get them off her back though. Not having to worry about the Leaf chasing her, would make things much easier.

"What?! You want him to come with us?!" Suigetsu demands in outrage.

"I know that you don't like it, but he's excellent bait. That and if you promise not to try to kill him, we can discuss sleeping arrangements." She offers.

She knew that was fighting dirty, but it was probably the only way to get them to coexist. This was ridiculous. She was tired of trying to catch Itachi and avoid the Leaf Village.

"Alright. I'll talk to Granny Tsunade about it. Just be careful around this guy. He's not as creepy as Orochimaru, but he's still a jerk." Naruto grumbles.

"Whatever. I might be the jerk, but at least I'm not going to be the one sleeping alone." Suigetsu growls at him as he wraps his arms around Suki rather possessively.

She shivers slightly. The Uchiha could practically feel the killer intent rolling off of him in waves. Though Suki was confident that she could defeat Suigetsu in battle and his anger wasn't directed at her, there was something very intimidating about it.

It was a contrast against the way his touch made her feel. She did like being held by him, even if he was taunting Naruto about it. In his own strange way, this was just another sign that he cared. He cared about her.

* * *

Meanwhile Itachi sighs. He had just left Mei's Village and was currently on the lookout for Suki. That or at least Kisame. The Akatsuki would likely be wondering where he had slipped off to by now.

"It's ironic that I find love again as I'm about to head off towards my death." He mutters.

Itachi knew the truth. That rose was going to wilt and soon. He could only hope that Mei did find love again. The poor woman had been through enough.

It was loathed to leave her side. Truthfully, it was quite nice to be able to enjoy the affections of a woman that you were fond of. Sadly, he couldn't indulge too much.

"Cruelty. It would be cruelty to risk bringing a child into this world as it stands now." He whispers to himself.

Naturally, he could have her use the Jutsu. Though he wouldn't entirely put it passed Mei for her to "forget" and try to convince him to live for their child. That was a decision that Itachi was grateful that he would never have to make.

Who would he chose? His beloved little sister who had suffered so much or the innocent child who was completely naïve about the way the world worked? He didn't know and that thought scared him. Terrified him, really.

"And then there's Obito." He growls.

Obito had been the one who had helped him carry out the gruesome task of dispatching most of his Clan. Now, he was intent on making Suki join his quest for the perfect world. It was a fool's errand, but one that Obito might be able to carry out.

He had great power and he was extremely resourceful. There was no telling what he might do. An Infinite Tsukuyomi might well be within his reach.

"And that would be the end of everything as we know it." He murmurs.

Who knew what kind of world Obito might try to create for everyone? It might be anything, but a pleasant one. That and the whole notion struck Itachi was wrong on principle.

It was simply arrogant to assume that you could shape the entire world to your wishes. It was arrogant and foolish. Nothing good would come of trying to change the natural order of things.

"Now, where would my foolish little sister go?" He wonders out loud.

He had accepted that long ago. Itachi couldn't see why everyone else had such difficulty doing likewise, but it was really none of his concern. All that mattered was giving Suki and their Clan a chance to start over.

That would be his true gift to her. A new life. A chance to build something better than the Clan that had died by his hand.

"Well if they have Kisame with them, then it should be a fairly simply matter to track them down." He decides.

He knew his sister. She would take Kisame with them and try attempt to pry some useful information out of him. It's what any intelligent ninja would do in her place.

"And she might be foolish, but Suki is indeed intelligent." He says to himself as he continues on his trek.

He'd just start in the closest village and ask around. It wasn't much to go on, but it was something. Itachi Uchiha had certainly dealt with worse odds.

* * *

About three hours later, Suki and the rest of Taka make their way into a forest. They were going to make camp. It was unlikely that they would be able to reach a village before having to rest and this was as good a location as any.

"Karin, are you almost done putting up the tent?" Jugo asks softly.

"Almost. It's being stubborn." The red head replies as she fumbles around in frustration.

"Karin, just let me do it. You have no idea what you're doing." Suigetsu states as he quickly proceeds to put up the tents.

Suki had agreed to change their sleeping arrangements and Suigetsu wanted to make full use of that. So like Hell was he going to let Karin unintentionally steal away some of his alone time with his Princess!

"I do too know what I'm doing!" Karin growls at him.

"No. You don't. You're good at tracking and medical stuff, but leave the other stuff to us." He states firmly and with that, he heads inside the tent that he had just prepared for him and Suki.

He had tried to make it bigger than normal. After all, they were sharing now. That and he wanted some room to roll around with her, if she wanted to play.

The odds weren't really in his favor. Karin and Jugo would be too close by, but maybe they could soundproof the tent. It was worth a shot.

"Mmm that was subtle." Suki says, a few moments later as she makes her way into the tent.

"Eh. They know that we're together. Besides, Kisame said that I should be more assertive." He says with a shrug.

He had probably said too much. Suki was looking at him rather incredulously at the moment. Damn. She was probably going to want to know what they talked about now.

"And what was he suggesting that you should be more assertive about?" Suki asks warily.

"Well I mean it's kinda embarrassing to admit, but us. He knows that we're together and I might have mentioned that you were being an evil tease earlier. So yeah. He did recommend flowers as well though. Do you like flowers? I mean most girls do, but you aren't most girls." He says.

Suki shakes her head in amusement as she lays down on the sleeping bag. Well that went better than expected. At least she wasn't angry or laughing. "I like flowers. I've just never had much time to appreciate them. I guess that was a little mean of me to wind you up like that." She concedes.

"Yes, it was. I was all ready to make us a nice bubble bath and then you went and did that." He grumbles.

"Mmm when you put it like that, I guess that I haven't been a very good girlfriend. Let me make it up to you." She says as she looks up at him.

On one hand, Suigetsu knew that there was a chance she was just taunting him again. On the other hand, how the Hell was he supposed to resist those gorgeous bedroom eyes. That look should be classified as a lethal weapon.

"You're a great girlfriend. It's just you have other things on your mind. I get it. I'd wanna kill Itachi too, if I was in your place." Suigetsu says as he lays down next to her.

Ahhh. This was nice. Nice and warm and God was she soft. He smirks and wraps an arm around her waist, pulling her closer. Yeah. He could get used to this.

"Still. I wasn't really looking for this. I just wanted to a team to take out Itachi. I never really expected to… for any of this to happen." She whispers as she kisses him.

Oh that was nice. She was initiating! That was a good sign. A very good sign! Maybe, fun sexy times had arrived!

Suigetsu smiles at he thought and kisses back. Yeah. Maybe, he should thank Naruto. Thanks to his stupidity, he was making out with Suki in this tent. So he actually had his uses.

"Well yeah. You didn't expect to see me naked in that tank. Who could resist my charm, after that?" He asks smugly between kisses.

"It don't know why, but it's endearing when you get cocky. Normally, I would find that sort of thing annoying. It's different with you though." She says.

"Good. Are you serious about traveling with him though?" Suigetsu grumbles.

"He's bait. That's all. You don't need to worry about it. Naruto is my friend, but he doesn't make me feel like you do. He's like…a less murderous brother." Suki finishes lamely.

Suigetsu nods. He didn't really like the idea of the blonde being anywhere near **_his_** Suki, but he'd deal with it. She was opening up and even kissing him first. That was a pretty major development in their relationship.

He wasn't going to blow that over a fight. Not when she was curled up next to him like this. Kissing him like that and oh yeah, looking at him with those bedroom eyes that were slowly driving him crazy. She was really wearing way too many clothes, really.

"Good to know. So you said that you were going to make it up to me?" He asks hopefully.

"Mhm. Lay on your stomach." Suki tells him and Suigetsu tilts his head in confusion.

"Alright, I guess. I'm trusting you right now, not to like stab me or something. Just so you know." He tells her and with that, he lays on his stomach.

That's when he feels Suki slowly sliding his shirt off. Ohhh. Maybe, that massaging thing was actually going to happen.

"Just relax. I've never really done this before, but I figure it can't be that hard. My mother used to do this for my father a lot." She says as she slides her hands over his back.

Her hands were both soft and calloused. He figured the latter was because she wielded lightning on a regular basis. The contrast was erotic and as she was moving up and down, he could feel her clothed breasts occasionally brush against his back.

Yeah. She was still wearing way too many clothes, but imagination was a beautiful thing. This was nice.

"Mmm. Yeah. This is a really good start towards making it up to me." He says as he sighs in contentment.

"I thought so." Suki says smugly as she leaves a trail of kisses along his back and continues the massage.

It was a strange contradiction. Part of him was so relaxed, that he was actually getting sleepy. The other part of him was definitely not relaxed and was more than ready to take this at least a hundred steps further.

"It meant a lot that you were willing to stick up for me in front of him." He says.

"It meant a lot that you were willing to fight me, but I didn't need you to. Not in that case." She whispers in his ear.

"Yeah. I know. I guess I'm just a pretty possessive guy. I've never liked to share my toys. Not that you're my toy, but I really don't like Blondie around you. You're my Suki and not his Suki." He says.

He feels her continue to massage him, but Suki paused for a moment. He wasn't sure that was a good sign. Suigetsu was starting to get a little nervous and then she broke the silence.

"And you're my Suigetsu." She whispers.


	13. The Lagoon

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Suki's and Suigetsu's relationship continues to flourish as our couple stumbles upon a beautiful lagoon.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's Note: Thanks for the reviews. I hope that you all enjoy this chapter.

_"And you're my Suigetsu."_ He hears her whisper as he smiles in response.

It was far from the most romantic declaration. There were no flowery words. There wasn't a romantic candlelit dinner, but that didn't matter to him. None of that stuff had ever really been that important to him anyway.

What mattered was that she had said it. They had agreed to be official, but somehow this made everything seem more _real_. Real in a way that it hadn't been before.

"Always, Princess. It's a shame that we're in a tent in the middle of a forest and I know that you're way too shy to risk the others walking in on us. Otherwise, I'd be more than willing to prove that to you." He tells her smugly.

"You're impossible. You know that, right? Is that really all that you ever think about? Playing with your swords? The metal ones and the…other one?" Suki asks in amusement as her hands continue gliding over his back.

Well yeah. Swords were awesome and he had a very hot girlfriend. A hot girlfriend who gave really good massages. Call him simple, but he'd rather focus on the fun stuff!

"Well yeah. Kinda. You should be happy though. The way I see it, that shows growth." He replies playfully.

"Mmm and how does that show growth?" Suki dares herself to ask.

"Well before we got together, I rarely thought about anything that was somehow related to the metallic kind of sword. Now, I think about lots of other stuff. Fun stuff like bubble baths with you." He answers.

Hey, there was really no reason to lie to her. Suigetsu never claimed to be much of a deep thinker. He was more of an action kinda guy. Suki had to know that by now. So it would be pointless to pretend to be anything else.

"Mmm I'm glad to be expanding your horizons, even if it's only a little then." Suki says with a quiet laugh.

"Oh trust me, there is absolutely NOTHING little in this equation." Suigetsu replies smugly.

The sword lover wasn't really sure how he knew, but he just knew. Suigetsu knew somehow that Suki was definitely blushing now. She might be a badass when it came to fighting, but she was still rather innocent when it came to actual intimacy.

That was fine with him though. He thought it was cute really. The tigress could transform into a kitten just like that and that was just fine with him.

"Oh believe me, I'm fully aware of that. I've seen you naked before. Remember? I saved your ass and got you out of that tank. A big blade is useless, if you don't know how to wield it though." The raven haired woman replies sassily.

Damn! That was his girl, alright! It was probably messed up, but for some reason he found it kinda hot when she did the whole sassy sexy insult thing.

In hindsight, he really should be used to this by now. Suki was Suki. Suigetsu was pretty sure that it would be almost impossible for her to do something that he didn't find badass, cute, or sexy as Hell.

"Damn. You're vicious." He says with a laugh as he enjoys the massage.

"Mmm. You like vicious though. If you wanted a nice girl, you wouldn't be with me. Can you wield it though?" She whispers seductively into his ear.

Wait! Was she offering what he thought she was offering?! It sure as Hell sounded like it!

"Oh yeah. I can definitely do that!" He promises her.

"Come with me. We can leave some clones in the tent. That way the others won't worry." She tells him as she slowly gets up.

Suigetsu almost protested the loss of contact, but then he remembered. Suki was potentially offering him a lot more contact. The fact that he had no idea where she wanted to go, well that didn't matter much to him.

He was more than willing his Sassy wherever she wanted to go. What man was going to resist THAT voice? That's right. No man! The Sexy Voice was completely irresistible!

"Alright. Lead the way." He says cheerfully.

"I've never seen you so cooperative before. Usually, you have a much harder time following orders." Suki notes with a smirk as they both form clones.

"Well usually the one bossing me around wasn't asking for a swordsmanship demonstration." The violet eyed man says.

Suki playfully rolls her eyes in response and after making sure that he was following her, she heads off. That's when Suigetsu follows her. He follows her to the last place on Earth that he expected her to take him. A lagoon with a waterfall.

"How'd you know about this place?" He asks in awe.

It was beautiful. The water had to be the darkest shade of blue that he had ever seen and it was warm to the touch. The forest surrounding it was green and lush. It was paradise.

"Mmm Jugo's birds. They talk to Jugo and he talks to me. Sometimes. He's always been a bit on the quiet side when he's not in one of his rages." Suki says as she wraps her arms around his neck.

"Remind me to thank him later then." Suigetsu says with a grin.

"Mhm. I'll remind you. I though that you might like it. Water is your thing, right?" Suki asks with a sly smile.

Water was definitely one of his things, but water AND the potential of a naked Suki was a billion times better. He really did owe that giant. He'd send him a gift basket or maybe some birdseed for his little forest buddies.

"It's amazing and yeah, water is my thing." He agrees as he kisses her.

* * *

Meanwhile Naruto and most of the Rookie Nine make their way back to the Leaf Village. The blonde still couldn't believe everything that had happened. It was like the weirdest dream that he had ever had.

He kept expecting to open his eyes and realize that's all that it was. A dream. Suki had agreed to let him help her kill Itachi AND she had a boyfriend. The Leaf Ninja didn't know which of those things was the more surreal part of his new reality, but he knew that he had to find Granny Tsunade and quick.

"Tell Granny Tsunade that we're back and we have important news!" He yells at one of the guards.

The guard looked startled and darted off inside the busty Hokage's Office. Naruto knew why though. The man knew that he and the others were on the Suki Retrieval Team. That meant that they probably had news of the last female Uchiha.

Obviously, the guard was smart enough to realize what that meant. There was no time to waste. He had better let the Hokage know what was going on.

"Brat, come in!" Tsunade's voice calls out a few seconds later.

The Jinchuuriki races inside with his friends. He wasn't even really sure how he was going to explain everything to Tsunade, but he had to try! Suki was counting on him!

"Granny Tsunade, we found Suki and her team. There was a fight, but she grabbed me. We talked. She wants to work together. The Akatsuki are going after the Tailed Beasts. That means that eventually, Itachi's going to want to come after me. She wants to use me as bait." The younger ninja explains.

"What a drag. It's a foolish plan. You might end up getting yourself killed. I know that she was your friend Naruto, but can you really trust her now? This is the woman who killed Orochimaru." Shikamaru points out.

Naruto frowns. That was a good point. Suki was a lot stronger now than she used to be, but that was okay. He was a lot stronger too and there was no way that he was going to sit by while Itachi killed her or her desire for revenge changed her into a completely different person!

"Naruto, this is v-very dangerous!" Hinata adds.

"Naruto, they're right. I want to save Suki as well, but she might be too far gone." Sakura whispers.

The sapphire eyed ninja feels himself twitch. He knew that his friends were just trying to help, but each objection only made him madder. Didn't they understand?! This was their chance to get Suki back! They had to take it!

"I know all that, but we have to try. Please, Granny Tsunade. Can you give me the authority to go on this mission?" He asks.

Tsunade sighs and looks at Shizune. Naruto could tell that she really didn't want to give him permission, but the woman was thinking about it. She was really thinking about it. That meant that he had a chance.

"Alright, Brat. I'm going to give you permission to help her. This goes against my better judgment. Don't get yourself killed and we might all get what we want out of this. Suki can kill Itachi and we can take out the rest of the Akatsuki. That and I know you. If I don't give you permission, you're going to rush off and do something stupid. At least this way, I know what you're up to." She says with a sigh as she pours herself a glass of sake.

"Thanks, Granny Tsunade! You won't regret this! Believe it!" Naruto replies with a grin.

This was his chance. Finally, they were all going to save Suki. That and he really had to ask her what was up with her and her new boyfriend. The fact that she had apparently fallen for another Criminal Ninja was something that the blonde was having a very difficult time wrapping his head around.

He was happy that she had finally found someone that she actually liked, but did it really have to be him? The white haired ninja was such a jerk! That and he was kinda concerned for his friend. How was she supposed to kiss someone with teeth THAT sharp?!

* * *

Back at the Lagoon, Suki was unknowingly answering Naruto's question. The Uchiha didn't really know how Suigetsu did it, but he had very good control off those sharp teeth of his and even better control of his tongue. Mmm this was nice.

"I'm glad that you like it. I know that it's going to be _hard_ for you to focus until your find out if your fantasies are accurate or not." Suki teases him between heated kisses.

"My fantasies?" Suigetsu asks in confusion.

"Of becoming my lover. I know that you want me. You haven't really made a secret of that and against all logic, I want you too. I shouldn't though." She admits.

She really shouldn't. There was a chance that she could get killed in the fight against Itachi. Hell, there was chance that Suigetsu could die in that fight. Suki could easily see him doing something stupid like trying to protect her from that monster and then getting his ass killed.

"Oh yeah. Well what can I say? It's a good thing that I'm not a cat because I've definitely been dying of curiosity about that for awhile now." He tells her with a grin.

Against her better judgment though, that didn't really matter. He'd look at her with that grin or kiss her in just the right way and she would melt. Of course, Suki was never going to let him know that. She did have some dignity, but there was no escaping the fact that she was either in love with him or falling in love with him.

Both were equally dangerous and the distinction between them was almost meaningless. Just by being her teammate, Suigetsu had a target on his back. So why not indulge in her desires?

"Mmm I guess I should save you from dying then. You do make a good blanket and it would be a shame to have to replace you." Suki teases him.

"Am I at least a sexy blanket? I guess I work with the blanket thing as long as I'm a sexy blanket and I get to use your breasts as pillows." He says smugly.

Suki snorts in amusement. Well he was far from the most elegant or romantic ninja that she had ever met, but he definitely lavished her with attention. Albeit a deviant kind of attention, but still. That and she'd never be bored with him.

"I think that I can agree to those conditions. If you're done negotiation, come join me." She says with a sly smile as she turns her back towards him.

**Warning Lemon**

Once she had done that, Suki slides her shirt over her head and her pants off. From there, it didn't take too long to slip out of her lingerie and jump into the lagoon.

She wanted to be in the water as soon as possible. She had never actually been naked in front of a man who wasn't her medic or related to her before. It was…embarrassing.

Though judging by the look on Suigetsu's face, he liked what he saw. That reassured her in a way. She was being ridiculous. Obviously, he found her attractive or he wouldn't have been so determined to change sleeping arrangements.

"Yeah. Like I said, you're amazing." He says as he quickly strips and jumps into the water.

Suki was rather amazed at how quickly he disrobed, really. That truly had to be some kind of record and she found herself in his arms in even less time than it had taken him to strip. Damn, if he displayed similar speed against Itachi…her brother wouldn't have a chance.

"So are you and thank you. You could killed Naruto. He would have hesitated. He doesn't like killing. He can't even detach himself from the process. He's got a lot more chakra than you and a lot of fancy tricks, but in the end…you'll always have that advantage over him." Suki whispers as she wraps her arms around his neck.

"You're welcome, but I really don't want to hear you mention another man's name again while we're naked together. The only name that you need to remember at the moment is mine. You'll be screaming it in a few minutes." Suigetsu says.

Suki feels her face burn red with embarrassment. Right. She probably shouldn't have mentioned another guy while she was naked with Suigetsu in the water. Though the last part caught her off guard.

"Someone's feeling pretty cocky." She retorts.

"I have the most beautiful girl in the world with me and naked in a lagoon. Damn fucking right, I'm feeling cocky." Suigetsu says and as if to emphasize his point, he presses brushes up against her.

That…definitely wasn't a kunai that she could feel against her inner thigh. It was too big, warm, and thicker. She'd never really given much thought to how she would lose her virginity, but this seemed like a good way to do it.

She was in a beautiful lagoon and with an attractive, mischievous ninja. A ninja who had proven that he was more than willing to take a hit for her. That and he was a very good kisser and apparently, rather well endowed. What wasn't to like exactly?

"Mmm well let's see if you can live up to your own hype." She whispers into his ear as she licks it playfully.

That might not have been her smartest idea. She had just poked a shark, it seemed. Almost faster than she could blink, she found herself pushed up against one of the larger rocks.

Suki shivers. She should have felt terrified. Her back was exposed to a man who was called Prodigy in the Art of murder, but she wasn't. No, she was excited in a way that she couldn't really explain.

"Trust me, Princess. I plan to. Just relax. Let me take care of you. Let me know what you like and what you don't. Orochimaru didn't exactly let me out much. You're my first too." He admits as he brushes the hair away from her neck and places several soft kisses there.

That honestly surprised her. Suigetsu definitely talked a tough game them for someone who was as innocent as her. Though in a way, it appealed to her.

Suki liked to believe that she was more practical than that. That she wouldn't be jealous of previous lovers, but apparently she had just been lying to herself and well that was the last real coherent thought that she had for awhile. How could she concentrate on anything else when he was kissing her like that?

"Mmm I didn't exact that and that feels good." She murmurs in appreciation.

"That's a good Sassy." Suigetsu says approvingly as one hand finds her breasts and Suki gasps.

The feeling of his warm, rough hand on her breasts was incredible. She shivers at it. Suki had never realized just how sensitive her cleavage was until he became caressing and squeezing it.

It made her feel things that she had rarely felt before they were together. The now increasingly familiar feeling of desire was humming between her legs. She feels herself arch back against him wantonly. Normally, she would have been embarrassed by such a submissive and wanton display, but not now.

"I r-eally like that." She pants out as she her eyes bleed red with desire.

"Good because I really like your breasts. Soft, warm, and squishy. The squishy part is really fun by the way." He purrs darkly in her ear as one hand traces over the small of her back and eventually comes to rest on her ass, squeezing lightly.

"Pervert. You're lucky that I like it." She says as she turns around and wraps her arms around his neck.

Suigetsu expected that. He didn't expect his princess to jump into his arms and wraps her legs around his waist. That or the jolt of white hot lust that resulted when his kunai brushed up against her.

"You know, you're making it really hard to go slow and be gentle." He tells her with a smirk.

"Maybe, I don't really need slow and gentle. I'm not made of glass. I believe I shattered that damn glass of your tank all by myself. You should know that I'm tougher than I look." She tells him as she leaves a trail of kisses along his throat and glides her hands over his chest.

Sugietsu returns the kiss and for a moment just reveled in the feeling of her lips against his. The taste of her kiss and the feeling of her hands on him, even if it was still fairly tame. Well it was tame for about two minutes until one of her hands found his currently throbbing arousal.

"Y-eah. You're definitely not made of glass and not scared of playing with big swords either." He groans as he thrusts into her hand and pushes her back up against the rock before lowering his head and capturing one of her nipples in his mouth.

"Nhh! G-ood! R-eally, really good!" Suki moans as she throws her head back in pleasure and Suigetsu smirks in response.

Yeah. Her breasts were definitely one of her spots. So was her neck. Good to know, he thinks to himself as he sucks, licks, and nips at her sensitive rosebuds.

He could definitely get used to this and the sexy sounds she was making. If she kept stroking him like she owned him though, he was definitely going to tumble over the edge faster than he was planning to.

"Really, Princess? How about this then?" He asks as he slides one of his hands between her thighs and cups her womanhood.

Suki wasn't shy by any stretch of the imagination now that she had gotten going and that just turned him on more. This was definitely a woman who knew what she wanted and wasn't afraid to take it.

Instantly, he felt her buck against his hand and gasp. Ah ha! So she was just as sensitive down there as he was. Very good to know.

"E-ven better." The raven haired woman replies as she continues teasing her lover and she even grows bold against to drag her tongue across the muscular expanse of his chest.

Suki shivers as she does so. She could feel Suigetsu touching her there and he was doing a much better job of it than the few times she had experimented with doing the same activity. God, that felt good!

She didn't want to be a passive lover though. That's why she was touching everything that she with her hands or her mouth. That was an idea actually. Men were supposed to like that.

"Mmm wait. Why don't you sit on one of the rocks in the shallow end? I want to try something." She whispers.

Suigetsu blinks, but he sets her down. Suki smiles. The violet eyed ninja was a lot more obedient, after she was naked. Good to know.

"Um alright." He says as he heads over and sits down on one of the rocks.

"I've never done this before. So tell me what you like and what you don't." She tells him smugly and before Suigetsu could comment, she wraps her mouth around the tip of his arousal and sucks lightly.

"Fuck! I like that! R-eally, fucking like that!" He growls out.

Suki shakes her head in amusement as she takes a few tentative licks and sucks. He was starting to sound like Hidan. She was only submerged in water up to her waist and his kunai was eyelevel with her. This was about the easiest position that she was going to get in for this particular erotic act at the moment.

"L-ove that! Actually, I have an idea! Water Clone Jutsu!" He says and another Sugietsu appears behind her.

"What are you pl-anning exactly?" Suki says, not sure what he was going to do with that clone.

"Just relax Princess. I told you that I was going to take care of you and I meant it. I'm just returning the favor is all." He assures her.

That's when Suki hears Suigetsu's Clone sit behind her and feels her legs being slowly opened. She was about to instinctively close them when she felt his tongue against her womanhood and that's when she lost it. She had thought his hand on her felt good, but this was just incredible!

"Ok-ay and y-eah, that's really good!" She moans as she goes back to teasing him with her mouth.

He was too big to take all of him in her mouth at once and the fact that she was moaning from the sensation of his warm, rough tongue against her most intimate place didn't make it any easier. That didn't seem to matter to Suigetsu though. She could feel the original Suigetsu run his fingers through his hair and hear him growl with pleasure. So she must be doing something right.

"Thought you might like it. Damn you're a goddess. Really digging the whole demonic eye thing too. The Sharingan looks even hotter when your staring up at me with it while your d-oing that." He pants out.

He really wasn't going to last much longer against that wonderfully wicked mouth of hers. He was going to need to cheat. Suigetsu has the clone caress her breasts with one hand as the other rubs her clit while he licks her. He licks her hard and fast.

The moans that she made in response were music to his ears. Suigetsu doubted that he had ever been this hard in his life, but what happened next was even better. Suki came hard and fast.

"And just when I thought you couldn't get more beautiful, you do." He mutters.

Thankfully, she had released him from her mouth before her release hit otherwise he would have been in a world of pain. Speaking of pain though, he was going to have to be very careful with what happened next.

Though for the moment, he was more than content to take in the view. Suki's dark tresses were splayed everywhere against her formerly ivory pale skin which was now a rosy shade of pink in some places. Her blush even extended partially towards her breasts and those ruby red eyes looked gorgeous when they were clouded with sexual satisfaction.

"Mmm I didn't really think that you did sweet, but thank you." Suki says with a smile.

He really wished that he had a camera at the moment. Suigetsu had never really understood the meaning of the world beautiful before now. It had always been a shallow concept. It meant something that was nice to look at, but now it was something more. Something almost divine (and he was far from a particularly spiritual ninja).

"I can sometimes. So is there any particular position that you wanted to try this out in?" He asks.

He was really ready for anything. At the moment, he probably would have walked over hot coals to make her happy. That thought should have disturbed him, but it didn't.

"Mmm shoreline. Lay on your back. I want to top." She says.

He probably should have seen that coming. Suki was definitely a control freak, but she was his hot control freak and that was just fine with him. He wasn't going to argue with the view.

"Whatever my Princess wants, she gets." He states simply as he walks over to the shore and lays down, after dispelling the clone.

He wanted this to be real. No clones. Just him and Suki. That was the way it was going to be from now on. (Well as soon as they could off her bastard off a brother, but really that was such a minor detail).

"Mmm good." Suki says as she straddles his waist and rubs against him cautiously.

It was obvious that she was feeling a little skittish and he couldn't blame her. He knew enough about women to realize this was probably going to hurt her. At least a little.

"Remember what you said about not being made of glass, Beautiful." He reminds her.

As predicted, goading her did the trick. Suki slowly lowers herself onto him and winces slightly. He leans up and kisses her, caressing all along her body to distract his gorgeous lover.

He really needed to focus, but it was just so damn hard. She was hot, wet, and tight. From his perspective, they fit together perfectly. It was like two pieces of a puzzle. Though it looked like Suki might need a little time to figure out said puzzle.

"I know." She whispers between kisses and rolls her hips curiously.

Suki had expected more pain than that, but it still stung. It was alright though. The hard part was over and as leaned into his comforting touches, she began to feel better.

That's when he hits something inside her that felt amazing. She throws her head back in pleasure and moans as she begins to ride him faster in response.

"I could definitely get used to this." Suigetsu growls lustfully as he places one of his hands on her ass and the other on her hip.

Suki moans as she feels his squeeze her ass and he presses down on her hips to hold her in place. Not that she wanted to go anywhere. This felt…well why hadn't she done this sooner?

Suigetsu moans as he lightly spanks his Sharingan Princess who was currently riding him in a fashion that could only be described as pure artistry. He slams up into his lover and revels in every moan that the reaction elicited.

He was practically drowning in a sea of pleasure. Every moan. Every sight. Every scent. Every touch and the taste of her kiss as she leans down to kiss him was driving him insane.

"Mmm so could I." She whispers between kisses as she bounces up and down the length of his cock faster and faster.

Every single time felt better than the last. She could feel a now familiar sensation fast approaching. She was close to the edge. That's when Suigetsu makes one final powerful thrust that made Suki swear that she actually saw stars behind her eyes as she came fast and hard.

"Suigetsu!" She screams out in ecstasy as her release overwhelmed her.

"Suki!" Suigetsu roars in bliss as he joins her in tumbling over the edge.

Suki wasn't sure how long they laid there afterwards. It might have been a few minutes or a few hours. Eventually though, Suigetsu slides out of her and wraps his arms around her protectively. She could get used to cuddling after sex. (Not that she was ever going to tell him that).

This was nice. Very nice. So this was what it was like to have a lover and to feel completely cherished by someone. It was an addicting feeling.

**End of Lemon**

"I'd say you were amazing, but I don't think that is anywhere near a strong enough word to describe that." Suigetsu says as he brushes the bangs out of her eyes, after they had made love for the first time.

"Mmm I feel the same way." Suki says and she sighs with contentment as she snuggles into his side further.

Suigetsu smiles. Yeah. It was weird in a way, but he should probably thank Orochimaru. If that creep hadn't found him, Suki never would have. There was just one problem left to solve.

"We really have to kill your brother. So we can do that more often." He says with a smirk.

"Yeah." Suki agrees with a smile as she leans over and kisses him.

Suigetsu kisses back and decides, he was definitely going to have a talk with Kisame. Fishface might know something. He had hinted as much earlier. No one was getting in the way of his fun sexy times with Suki ever again and that included Itachi Uchiha! One way or another, he was going to make Kisame talk!


	14. She's Not Sick

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> As Suki and Suigetsu grow closer, Suigetsu grows concern as Suki when it looks like the last female Uchiha is growing sicker. All becomes clear though, after her battle with Deidara.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's Note: Thanks for the reviews. I hope that you all enjoy this chapter.
> 
> Chapter Notation: I'm going to throw in my own curveballs as it pertains to Suigetsu's Clan's abilities. This may or may not be cannon, but I feel that it makes the story more interesting. Happy reading.

_Two months._ They had been lovers for two months and thankfully, Karin and Naruto were still oblivious. Suki suspected that Jugo knew though and it was almost certain that Kisame knew. (He was smirking at her entirely too much for it to be normal, even by his standards).

Jugo's birds and other animal friends could be anywhere. So no matter how much she and Suigetsu snuck off to be discrete, she was sure at least one of those cute woodland creatures had informed the gentle giant what was going on. If they hadn't, well Jugo wasn't dumb. He probably knew.

"Princess, the idiot is being annoying again." Suigetsu grumbles as he walks over to her.

She was surprisingly okay with Kisame knowing. He and Suigetsu had some weird friendship. She didn't doubt for a moment that they would slit each other's throats, if it came down to it though. Despite that, it was clear that they talked about _things._

Guy things like killing and swords were obviously their favorite topics of conversation. Though she knew almost without a shadow of doubt, they probably talked about her. That much was very obvious.

In some demented way, the blue skinned Akatsuki Member likely fancied himself as some sort of evil Cupid. Suigetsu had told her that Kisame had given him advice once. So it was only rational to assume he was still doing so.

"Mmm and that's different than every other day how?" Suki asks slyly as she wraps her arms around his neck and kisses him.

Suki had thought that Karin and Suigetsu had fought like cats and dogs, but she had been wrong. Suigetsu and Karin were best friends compared to the almost psychotic hatred that Naruto and the sword lover had for each other. Every single day, she had to stop them from killing each other at least three or five times. It was getting to be a bit annoying, really.

Suigetsu was easy enough to distract. She could distract him with kisses and other things. Naruto was harder though. Usually, they resolved their "discussions" with Chidoris and Rasengans. (A fact which probably only further infuriated Suigetsu).

"Good point. This time he's being really annoying though. He is accusing me of stealing his stupid ramen." He grumbles.

Who knew that Suigetsu wanted to play the White Knight? He was extremely protective in his own odd way. He really did not appreciate Suki training with Naruto.

She knew this because almost as soon as she finished with Naruto, Suigetsu would approach her. The encounters usually ended with her having a lot of VERY visible love bites. Suki was sure that Suigetsu enjoyed marking her up. He could be a possessive bastard and he was probably taunting Naruto with them.

"You don't even like ramen though." Suki says in confusion.

"I know, but he doesn't believe it. Remind me again, why we need him?" He asks with a sigh.

"He has the Nine Tailed Fox inside him. The Akatsuki are going after the Tailed Beasts. Eventually, Itachi will come to us. That and he's my best friend. He can be annoying, but he's very loyal. That and he won't hold back with me when we train like you do now." Suki replies bluntly.

The direct approach was best with Suigetsu. Beating around the bush or being subtle was absolutely pointless. She didn't really mind though. It was nice to finally meet someone other than Naruto who said exactly what was on their mind.

"Oh come on! You're my Suki now. I can't seriously come at you like I'm trying to kill you. You're not really holding that against me, are you?" He asks in disbelief.

"No. I think that it's sweet, really. I love you for it, but that doesn't change the fact that I need to train to get stronger. That's the only way that I'm going to beat him. I'll go deal with Naruto." She says as she lets go of Suigetsu and turns to head off.

"Princess, you mean that's the way that WE'RE going to beat him." Suigetsu says as he pulls her back into his arms.

Suki smiles. He was far from the most elegant with words, but Suigetsu was very romantic sometimes. He just didn't realize it.

"Mmm exactly." She says with a smile as she rests her head on his shoulder.

"That and you should take the day off from training. You aren't nearly as sneaky as you think you are. I know that you're sick. Probably caught the blonde's germs or something. Bad cold? I heard you in the bathroom the past couple days." The violet eyed ninja says.

Suki sighs. It was just a bug. It was nice that he cared, but honestly she was a big girl. Suki Uchiha wasn't going to be defeated by something as annoying as the common cold (or a really bad case of the flu in this case).

"You heard that?" She asks sheepishly.

"Damn right, I did. You probably threw up everything that you've eaten the past couple days. Play hooky with me. Just take the day off training and you'll probably be fine by tomorrow." He tells her.

"Mmm. Maybe, one day wouldn't hurt that much." Suki says as considers it.

It was tempting. Really, she wasn't really sure that it count as resting. Suki knew what was probably going to happen, if she caved.

She had never really thought of herself as the sort of person who craved human contact before Suigetsu. Suki assumed that she had just been conditioned to associate touch with pain or annoyance, after the Massacre for the most part. Suigetsu had quickly corrected that misconception.

"Suki, your boyfriend stole the ramen!" Naruto grumbles as he comes into the living room of the suite that they had all rented.

It was a large suite with three bedrooms. She stayed with Suigetsu. Karin stayed with Jugo. Naruto and Kisame rounded out the third one. Suki was almost reluctant to leave the place because it really was nice.

"Naruto, he didn't take your damn ramen. Suigetsu, quit fighting with him about everything. I'm going to go get some water." Suki says as she grumbles and heads off.

"Suki, are you okay? You've been drinking a lot of water lately. Like a lot more than normal." Naruto asks in concern.

"Yes, Loser. I'm fine. I've just got the flu or something. My body just wants to replace the fluids that it lost while I was spending most of the past couple days throwing up." She states in irritation and with that, she disappears into the small kitchen that the suite had.

* * *

Meanwhile Itachi watches from a safe distance. Taka didn't seem to know that he was nearby yet. Good.

Sadly, that didn't solve his problem. He needed to get Suki alone. He needed to get her alone and have her kill him. That was assuming that Kisame hadn't told her what really happened that night. If he had, all this might be for naught.

"He might have told them that I'm sick. I don't think that Kisame would have betrayed my confidence, otherwise though." He mutters to himself.

Itachi could only pray that was the case. For now though, he was content to simply observe the strange team that his foolish little sister had assembled. That was always entertaining to say the least.

"She wouldn't be that foolish, would she?" Itachi asks himself as he watches Suki head into to kitchen and pour herself a rather glass of water.

It wasn't the water that was concerning him. Hydration was important. It was the reason why she was so thirsty that bothered him.

He had seen her the past couple mornings vomiting. Repeatedly. His sister had never been the type to get sick and he knew that she certainly didn't have his condition. Her symptoms were far too different for it to be that. Which lead him to a troubling conclusion.

_"Mother, you should rest. You're sick." Itachi said to Mikoto._

_Mikoto shook her head and smiled at Itachi. The woman paused for a moment and then placed his hand on her stomach. Her reaction puzzled Itachi._

_"Your mother isn't sick, Itachi. She's pregnant. She's going to have a baby. Women get sick when they are pregnant sometimes, especially in the beginning." Fugaku explained._

_Itachi blinked. Was that why his mother had placed his hand on her stomach? There was a baby in there? How was it supposed to get out?_

_"Is that why your belly has been getting bigger?" He asked innocently._

_"Yes, that's why. Though you probably shouldn't tell women that their bellies are getting bigger in the future. Just to be on the safe side. You're going to have a little brother or sister soon. Won't that be nice?" Mikoto asked as she kissed his forehead._

_Itachi smiled. He was still confused, but clearly his parents were happy about this development. He didn't really understand how a baby was inside his mother's stomach, but he supposed he didn't have to._

_"How do you tell if it's a boy or a girl?" Itachi asked._

_"Oh the medic will tell us soon enough. Either way, I'm certain that you will make a wonderful brother." Mikoto assured him and Fugaku nodded in agreement._

Itachi couldn't help, but sigh at the memory. His mother had been wrong about that. He was far from a good brother to Suki, but he would keep his promise to her. One way or another, he was going to look after the young woman.

"On second thought, she would. Suki would be that foolish." He mutters.

He knew that there was a chance he could be wrong. He might not be an uncle, but Itachi doubted it. Suki and Suigetsu had grown far too affectionate towards each other than he was entirely comfortable with and surprisingly, sex ed was lacking at the Academy.

Itachi knew that Suki must know the Jutsu. Though he doubted that she would actually use it. She was young enough that it would have been all too easily to get caught up in the moment or several moments as the case seemed to be.

"I can only hope that I'm wrong. I can't fight her, if she's pregnant." Itachi whispers.

That was one thing that he wouldn't do. He'd just stand there and wait for Suki to kill him, if it came down to it. He wasn't going to risk injuring her and his niece or nephew.

"Now, I just have to be sure. I'll have Deidara confront her. He's a formidable fighter and will present a challenge, but she should escape that fight unscathed." He decides.

Suki was a brilliant strategist, when she didn't let her emotions rule her. Unfortunately, Itachi knew that she would in a fight against him. Against Deidara, she'd keep a level head though.

* * *

A few days later and Suigetsu was starting to get concerned to put it mildly. Suki was still getting sick. He was seriously thinking about taking her to a real doctor, when the Uchiha Princess suddenly stopped in the middle of their trek through a forest.

"Suki, what's wrong?" Naruto asks.

"There's a ninja nearby. A powerful one. I can sense his Chakra." Karin says as she looks around warily.

At this, Suigetsu immediately strides over to Suki's side. He knew that such an action was pointless. She was hardly a Damsel in Distress, but she was sick and it was the principle of the thing!

"Anyone you recognize from the Sound or Leaf, Karin?" Suki demands.

"No one that I recognize. Their chakra is very wild and erratic though." The red head replies.

"That's Deidara. I'd recognize his chakra, anyway. Let me go talk to him." Kisame says.

Suigetsu shakes his head. He doubted very much that the Akatsuki cared that Kisame had gone missing. They collected powerful ninjas, but didn't seem to cry too many tears if they died. A ransom wasn't going to work.

"Keep him here. I'll be right back. Deidara is an Akatsuki Member. He might know more than Kisame does at this point. He might have more recent information on Itachi." Suki says and with that she Flickers off.

"DAMN IT!" Suigetsu hisses as he slams his fist into the nearest tree in frustration.

She really shouldn't run off like that, especially not when she was just as likely to start vomiting as throwing Chidoris and fireballs! Why wouldn't she just take it easy?! She was so damn stubborn!

He really wished that Kisame would have spilled his guts more, but he hadn't. If Fishface had talked more, then maybe Suki wouldn't be charging off into a battle at a disadvantage. He tries to race off after her, trying to follow her Chakra, but he was no Sensory Type.

_"So come on. Talk. What's going on with Itachi?!" Suigetsu demanded, a few weeks ago as he pressed his blade against the other man's throat._

_To his annoyance, Kisame had just laughed at him. That pissed Suigetsu off. The Akatsuki Member obviously didn't know him very well, if he seriously didn't think that Suigetsu was more than willing to kill him._

_He liked Kisame, but he loved Suki. He was willing to kill for her. Of course, that would have been more romantic…if he wasn't already a Prodigy in the Art of Murder. Still it was the thought that counted!_

_"Kid, that ain't my secret to tell. Though there's probably one that you've figured out. He's sick. Really sick. Itachi's been taking a lot of medicine to deal with it, but that's only a temporary fix." He said with grimace._

_That grimace made Suigetsu ponder the possibility that maybe Kisame actually considered Itachi to be his friend. He was going to press him harder, but that's when Suki walked over to them. She was like some kind of Revenge Goddess with her Sharingan burning brightly through the night._

_"How much time does he have and is he going to give me a real fight? I don't want to win because he's ill. I want to win because I'm better." She hissed._

_He smirked. That was the spirit. Most ninjas would have been happy to hear their opponent had been weakened. Not Suki though. She wanted a real fight._

_"Hard to say. I don't know where he's been sneaking off to, but I think he might have started seeing a doctor before you found me. A real one. Not just the medicine. I'd say about a year. Maybe a little less, assuming he doesn't seek out further treatments. If you find him that soon, you'll get the fight of your life. If not, well you're fighting a corpse." Kisame replied in a casual voice._

_It was a little too casual though. Yeah. Fishface definitely cared about Itachi, but he was also fond of him and maybe even Suki to a degree. The poor guy was caught in the middle._

_Really, it was almost enough to make the sword lover feel sorry for him. He wouldn't though. He was a badass Criminal Ninja. He didn't do pity._

_"What do you think Suki?" He asked._

_"I think that he's not going to talk. We got what we needed most out of him though. I know there's more to the story, but it doesn't matter. Itachi is as good as dead. I'm just going to make sure that it's by my hand and not some disease." She muttered in disgust._

That brought him to the present. He manages to find Suki, but it was too late. She had already started fighting another annoying blonde.

Seriously, what was up with blondes and their annoyingness? He sighs as he watches Suki and Deidara go at it. He feels himself twitch as he sees the blonde liked to play with explosives.

"I'm going to tear that freak apart, if one of those actually lands." He growls.

The others had joined him by this time and were watching the fight. All of them were obviously debating, if they should join in or not. Suigetsu was seriously considering it as he sees Suki dodge another bomb.

Karin couldn't join or she probably wouldn't. The woman was more of a Sensor and Medical Type. She wasn't suited for combat.

"Should help her?" Jugo asks softly.

Jugo was a tank. Unfortunately, he was an unpredictable one. He might accidentally hurt Suki, if he went into beserker mode. Suigetsu shakes his head at the mostly gentle giant's suggestion. That wouldn't work.

"Art is an explosion! Yeah?!" Deidara says as he sits on the back of one of his clay birds and hurls more bombs at the Uchiha woman.

"I don't know about art, but I'm going to enjoy tearing you apart. Unless you tell me what I want to know." She says as she dodges the attacks.

He really shouldn't be getting turned on by the fact his girlfriend was issuing death threats. There was something seriously wrong with him, but he digressed. Karin and Jugo wouldn't be helpful in this fight.

Kisame was a risk. There was a fifty percent chance he might actually try to help Deidara. After all, they were both in the Akatsuki.

"We have to help her!" Naruto says.

That meant that if anyone was going to step in, it was probably going to be him and Naruto. That left a bad taste in his mouth for two reasons. The first was the idiot was just as likely to accidentally get them all killed as to help. The second was because she was his Suki. It was his job to protect her. Not Naruto's.

"Let's see you try! You're no Itachi. You're just a cheap imitation. Though your face is going to look so pretty all covered in red. You know why it will be red, right? Because it's going to be covered in blood!" He taunts her.

"You talk way too much." Suki says as she unsheathes her sword.

She was about to attack Deidara, when she was forced back by an explosion and that's when Suigetsu realizes something. The other blonde was a dirty blonde. He was fighting really dirty. That jerk had planted bombs in the ground.

"And you're going to get blown up, if you stay on the ground. You have no way of knowing where my bombs are, but I promise you that there all over the place. So your friends aren't going to be able to help you either. Not unless they want to risk getting blown up too! Yeah?!" Deidara asks with a half insane laugh.

Who was Suigetsu kidding? The man was completely one hundred percent certifiable. That was certainly saying something because he wasn't exactly normal himself either!

"Damn it!" Naruto hisses and Suigetsu hears their other allies make similar expressions of frustration.

"That's fine. I don't have to touch the ground to defeat you." Suki says as she uses her sword to keep her feet from touching the ground.

That was his girl. Unfortunately, the bastard just kept making more clay monsters and launching attack after attack. Suki manages to dispel most of them, but that freak attacked her with some shadow thing.

Suigetsu's eyes widen in horror as he watches Suki get eaten by it before his very eyes. For a split second, he could have sworn that his heart had literally stopped beating, until she reappears behind him and throws a punch right to his face, sending him flying.

"Go Suki!" Naruto shouts as Taka (and Kisame) watch the entire scene unfold before their eyes with baited breath.

That's when Deidara hit the ground and Suki hits him with a Chidori. The lightning was strong against his clay. He was fried to death, but not before he threw a bomb at her.

The bomb went off directly at her. It should have killed her instantly, but instead, it passed straight through liquid version of Suki! Suki was made out of water!

"Did Suki use a water clone?" Naruto asks in confusion.

"That's not a water clone. A clone would have been dispelled by that hit." Kisame points out.

No. It definitely wasn't a clone. Suki had reformed into just her normal solid state and she looked just as confused as the rest of them.

It was his family's water technique! Somehow Suki had managed to use it, but that didn't make any sense. The Sharingan couldn't copy bloodlines. As much as he loved her, she wasn't a hereditary member of his Clan. That should have been impossible.

"Unless…she's not sick." He whispers to himself.

Suki didn't know that technique. She simply was in capable of performing it. Only another member of his Clan could do that, but somehow Suki's body had turned into water.

That could mean only one thing. She didn't have a cold. Suki wasn't sick. She was pregnant!


	15. A Pufferfish

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Suigetsu musters up the courage to tell Suki the good news.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's Note: Thanks for the reviews. I hope that you all enjoy this chapter.

Suki stares at Deidara's remains for a moment, before heading back to her team. It had been a gruesome death for the psychotic blonde, but less grisly than the one he had been planning for her with his explosions. One of which, should have killed her.

It hadn't though. For some reason, she had turned into water and the explosion had just passed through her. Suki was perfectly fine and that's what confused her.

"You were amazing, Suki! How'd you do that water thing?!" Naruto asks excitedly.

The Uchiha woman knew that she should be dead or in a world of pain right now. That wasn't the case though. Suki wasn't sure how, but Suigetsu's Technique had saved her.

It didn't make any sense. That was a Bloodline Technique. She'd certainly never copied it from him and Suigetsu couldn't have taught it to her, even if she wanted to. So how had she done it?

"I don't know. Let's go. Deidara is dead. He's not going to tell us anything useful and I'd rather not stand around here and do nothing." She says.

Suki was trying her best to stay calm and not to panic. On the outside, she was sure that she was managing. Over the years, she had learned how to hide what she was feeling very well. It was a skill that served her well in the Sound. Unfortunately, that didn't stop her from internally panicking.

"She's right. There's no need to linger here. Someone might have heard the explosions and could be on their way now." Jugo offers.

That was Jugo for you. The man had called himself her Shield and he certainly meant it. He was always trying to protect her, even subconsciously.

"Yeah! Let's get going! Seriously though, are you okay? Suki, are you okay? Do you want to bite me?" Karin offers.

Biting Karin usually resulted in an accelerated healing rate. Suki wasn't entirely sure how it worked, she just knew that it did. It had saved her ass on more than one occasion and that was why she had invited the other woman along on this journey in the first place.

"That won't help." Suigetsu says cryptically.

That was a bad sign. Suigetsu was many things, but cryptic certainly wasn't one of them. Suki was now rapidly moving from the panicked camp to the terrified camp.

"Why not?!" Karin demands as if she was offended by the very notion that she couldn't help Suki.

"It's really none of your business. Let's get going." Suigetsu says as the group turns to head off.

Kisame was giving Suigetsu a funny look and that only served to make Suki even more anxious. Something strange was going on and as soon as they were alone, the Uchiha woman was going to get answers out of her lover. One way or another, the violet eyed ninja was going to tell her what was going on.

* * *

Thankfully, it didn't take them too long to find a small village and buy three rooms for the night. There would be no Suite in this quaint village. That didn't matter to Suki though. What mattered was getting answers.

"Start talking!" Suki say, a few minutes later as she shoves Suigetsu against the wall of their room.

They had barely gotten inside their room, when the Uchiha woman pounced. She wasn't going to let him avoid the question. Suki needed to know how and why she had turned into water and Suigetsu was going to tell her.

"Easy, easy there. I'll tell you, but you might want to sit down. I'm not really sure how you're going to take the news." Suigetsu replies cautiously.

A cautious Suigetsu was normally an oxymoron. That was just another sign that something was wrong. Suigetsu was never cautious.

"Alright. If you try to run though, I will catch you. You aren't faster than me." The dark beauty reminds him.

"I know. Well um you know how my Clan has a Water Bloodline Trait?" The violet eyed man inquires warily as he sits down next to his lover.

Suki nods. She was familiar with it. That was hwy she had asked him to join. That and his ability to swing a sword. Being able to turn into water to avoid hits or to increase the size of your body parts to proportionally increase your strength were very useful abilities. It was really no wonder why Orochimaru had snatched him up.

"Yes, I'm familiar with it. Why? Why can I do it? I shouldn't be able to, Suigetsu and you know that. The Sharingan can't copy hereditary techniques. I'm not a Hōzuki. So I shouldn't be able to do what you do." Suki states.

"Well you kinda are a Hozuki now. At least part of you is, anyway." Suigetsu replies vaguely.

That didn't make any sense. What did he mean?! She was his lover, but she wasn't his wife. She hadn't taken his last name and even if she did, that wouldn't give her access to his techniques!

"You're not making any sense." The Uchiha woman hisses in irritation.

"Well you know how we've been together for a couple months? How we've been _together, together_?" He asks cautiously.

Together, together. Well yeah. They had been lovers for the past couple months and she couldn't deny that she was now very much addicted to his touch. That still didn't explain how she was supposedly part Hōzuki though.

That's when it clicked. Part of her was Hōzuki and Suigetsu was talking about the fact that they had been intimate. They had been intimate with great frequency and she had never used The Jutsu.

"I'm pregnant. I wasn't the one using your technique. The baby was." She whispers in shock.

"Yeah. Kid is a genius. Using chakra from the womb and everything. We made a super baby." Suigetsu tells her.

* * *

Meanwhile Itachi was still frozen in shock. He couldn't believe it. Well he could and he couldn't.

Obviously, Suki had been growing closer to Suigetsu and he was aware that they were lovers. Thankfully, he hadn't actually witnessed them being together in such a fashion, but he knew! He knew that they were being intimate and on a frequent basis at that. So really, it shouldn't have come to a shock that she was pregnant.

"I can't fight her like this." He mutters to himself.

Despite all that information, Suki's pregnancy had come to a shock to him. A very big one. It was rare for Itachi to be caught off guard by anything. In this instance though, his baby sister had truly thrown a curveball at him that he didn't see coming.

"I'll just have to let her kill me. I won't resist. It'll be a hollow victory, but I'm not going to risk taking her second family from her." Itachi whispers.

He couldn't do it. Itachi just couldn't fight Suki while she was pregnant. If he hadn't been able to kill her when she was a child, Itachi knew that he was never going to be able to fight her when she was WITH child!

"That means I'm going to have to get her alone though." The elder Uchiha Sibling reasons.

That was easier said than done though. Suigetsu might not be as academically gifted as he was, but the man wasn't an idiot. Surely, he was familiar with his Clan's Techniques. He would put two and two together.

Once he did, Itachi doubted that the sword lover was going to let Suki out of his sight. Not that he could blame the other man. Itachi would have done the same thing in his position. Though it certainly made things rather inconvenient for him.

"Well she can't be that far along. She's not showing and she took Deidara out relatively easily. Now, I just have to make sure that I'm the last Akatsuki Member that Suki has to fight." The Criminal Ninja reasons.

Once he was dead, Itachi was confident Suki would take his eyes. She knew how their bloodline worked. Taking his eyes would ensure that she had the Eternal Mangekyo Sharingan. It would prevent her from going blind in the long-term.

"I'm not really fond of the idea of her undergoing that procedure while she's pregnant though." He decides.

It was a difficult decision. If he avoided her until after she gave birth, his sister would have a cloud looming over her head for her entire pregnancy. Such stress likely wouldn't be good for her or the baby. The flipside was hardly any better though.

He could allow her to kill him. She'd take his eyes and probably want a transplant immediately. Itachi didn't like the thought of his pregnant sister under going such a traumatic surgery though.

"I suppose she could preserve my eyes until afterwards to have the transplant done. Would she be foresight enough to think of such a compromise though?" The man wonders out loud.

That's when Itachi stiffens. He could feel that he wasn't alone anymore. Someone else was there and had likely overheard him. There were only four Uchihas left in the world at the moment and Obito Uchiha had found him.

"Well that's rather sweet. It looks as though our Clan is going to live on after our deaths, after all. Tell me, how far along is she?" Obito asks good-naturedly.

He knew that it was an act though. Once upon a time, Obito Uchiha might have been a good person. Right now though, he was a major threat to the world.

"That's none of your concern. I'm not going to let you go anywhere near her!" Itachi hisses at him.

"Itachi, we've discussed this before. You're a dead man walking. You're treatments have stabilized you for awhile, but we both know you won't fight her like this and I doubt that she's going to listen to you. If you try to tell her the truth, Suki's not going to believe you. Once you're dead though, I'll recruit her to the cause. The world will be a much better place for your niece or nephew than it ever was for either of us." Obito promises him.

Well Itachi supposed that he should call the other man Madara. That's who he was pretending to be half the time. The other half of the time, he was Tobi.

There were times that Itachi wondered, if Obito even knew who he was anymore. The elder Uchiha Sibling supposed that it didn't matter though. Not really. What mattered was stopping him.

"You have no right to make those kinds of decisions for everyone. If you're so eager for a better world, you can join me in the afterlife!" Itachi snarls at him as he charges at the other Uchiha in a blind rage.

He brings his kunai down and slashes at Obito's throat. Right into his jugular. It should have been a lethal shot, but it wasn't. Obito turned out to be a clone.

"Damn it!" Itachi hisses under his breath.

In hindsight, he should have known better. Things were never that easy. Now, he had to get his foolish little sister to kill him and to take his eyes as soon as possible to protect her from Obito.

The other man had made his choice for him. Itachi couldn't afford to wait until she gave birth. He was going to have to act and act fast. It was the only way to prevent Obito's plans from coming to fruition.

* * *

Back at the Inn, Suigetsu watches Suki anxiously. She wanted to restore his Clan. So in theory, she SHOULD be happy about her pregnancy. Unfortunately, there was a good chance that wouldn't be the case.

"Oh God. When I fought Deidara, I could have died. If I died, the baby would have died with me. I'm a horrible mother! What kind of mother would do something like that?!" She asks in a panic.

He had expected elation or anger. Not fear. Damn it. This wasn't going as he had hoped. A panicked Suki was not a creature that he knew how to deal with.

"Suki, it's okay. You didn't know. Besides, you're both fine. I don't think you really need to worry about them too much. Kid is smart enough to know what to do, if you're attacked. I don't really know how the kid knows what to do. I guess it reacted to your stress levels or something. An instinct." The sword lover says in what he hopes was a reassuring tone of voice.

His lover nods numbly. Suki was in shock. Yeah. This wasn't good. He was going to have to calm her down somehow.

"Just relax. It's going to be okay. I wasn't really planning on being a father, especially not this soon. I'm happy about it though. It just brings us closer. Besides, kid is already a badass. How many people can use chakra from the womb?" He asks with a laugh as he wraps his arms around her.

"So you're really happy about this?" Suki asks as she looks up at him with those beautiful and very wary eyes.

He hadn't really been expecting it, but he definitely loved being with Suki. If he had his way, they would just ignore the rest of the world and could just focus on each other and swords. Now though, they would have an extra person to focus on.

That was fine with him though. The kid was bound to be adorable, if she looked anything like her mother. If it was a boy, well Suigetsu would make sure that he became the most badass swordsmen to ever live.

"Yeah. I'm happy about it. Well I'm worried about you being pregnant and going after your brother. So you're gonna have to hold off on that quest for revenge for awhile though." He points out.

Of course, he could still train a girl to use a sword. Suki was quite good with hers. Though Suki probably wouldn't let him teach a girl how to slice people up as much as she would with a boy. On second thought, his lover was probably going to object either way.

That wasn't going to stop him though. Their kid would have to be able to defend themselves. If nothing else, it was likely their son or daughter was going to have two bloodline traits. That made them a major target for creeps like Orochimaru. The best defense was a good offense.

"You're right. I can't fight like this. What are we going to do?" Suki asks as she burrows into his chest.

Suigetsu sighs. He was pretty sure that he saw a silent tear streaming down her face. Suki was scared. Very scared.

She wouldn't bat an eyelash when it came to her own life, but now she was going to be a mother. Now, she couldn't think about just her own mortality. That changed things in a big way.

"Just relax. We'll just avoid that bastard and after we meet our son or daughter and you're all patched up, then we'll kill him. Nothing to worry about." Suigetsu tells her.

Suki nods, though she seemed less than convinced. Suigetsu couldn't help, but really hate Itachi at that moment. If it wasn't for him, Suki would probably be happy about her pregnancy. Not terrified.

"Yeah. That's what we'll do." She whispers in agreement.

"Don't worry. I got you. Why don't you get some sleep?" Suigetsu asks.

The Uchiha woman shakes her head and Suigetsu sighs again. She was too frightened and shocked to sleep. He should have seen that coming. He was just going to have to distract her.

"I don't think that I can sleep." Suki admits.

"Are you worried about later when you get bigger and start to show? Are you worried about looking like a pufferfish?" Suigetsu asks cheerfully.

He was probably going to get smacked for that one at the very least. A fireball or a Chidori wouldn't be out of the question though. Suigetsu didn't mind in the slightest.

If that's what it took to calm her down, he was willing to take some electrocution. All this stress was not good for her or a baby. He might not have been seeking fatherhood, but he damn sure wasn't going to have Suki or his child suffer over something that was completely preventable like stress-induced pregnancy complications!

"You're such an idiot. I'm not worried about looking like a pufferfish." She mutters indignantly.

"Good. You shouldn't be. You'll be the sexiest pufferfish ever." Suigetsu tells her with a grin.

"Your father is an idiot, but that's okay. He means well and he's good with his sword." Suki whispers down to her stomach.

Suigetsu blinks. He was far from the most proper ninja on the planet, but should Suki really be talking about THAT to their baby?! Wasn't it kinda early for such things?!

"Suki, do you really think that it's a good idea to discuss fun sexy times with our baby?!" He asks.

"What are you talking about? I was just talking about your. Oh you damn pervert. You know what I meant!" Suki says as she tsks at him.

"Oh come on! The first time we were together, you were making all sorts of suggestive sword metaphors. How was I supposed to know?!" The violet eyed ninja replies.

Well at least he had accomplished his mission. Suki was no longer terrified. Maybe, mildly annoyed. Mercifully, it was sulking cat annoyed and not fearsome tigress fury.

"I guess that's a good point." She says as she lays down on the bed and pulls him down next to her.

Suigetsu smiles and wraps his arms around her protective. That was better. Suki would probably never admit it, but he could tell that she definitely enjoyed being held.

"You know that I love you, right? I mean I'm not really good with the whole words thing, but you know that." Suigetsu asks.

"I know and that's okay. You're good at using your mouth for things that are far more enjoyable than sappy declarations of undying love." She says with a smirk as she turns around so she was safely nestled in his arms and facing her lover.

"That was very hypocritical. You were scolding me about sword comparisons and you can say that?!" He demands.

Suki laughs quietly in response as she snuggles closer to him. This was better. Suigetsu was unexpectedly happy about her pregnancy and that made it easier for her to wrap her head around.

Though perhaps, she should have seen that coming. If Suigetsu really didn't want kids, he probably would have asked her to use the Jutsu or taking preventive measures. Suigetsu was far from a medic, but she was confident that he was well versed enough in human biology to realize what might happen, if you kept coupling without using The Jutsu.

"Mmm alright. Maybe, that was a little hypocritical. I'll admit that. It's not like he or she can hear us, anyway." The Uchiha woman reasons.

"Yeah. I guess that's true. Do you want to go to the Leaf now? I mean you're pregnant. They kinda have to let you back in and you already agreed to work with Naruto. You're not a Criminal Ninja anymore." He reminds her.

Right now, all Suki wanted to do was to snuggle up to Suigetsu and for him to make love to her until she fell asleep. Admittedly though, her lover had a point. They might be safer in the Leaf.

"I don't know. I hadn't really thought that far ahead yet." The raven haired ninja admits.

"Right. Well don't worry about it. I'm here. You don't need to worry about anything." He tells her as he glides his hand over the curve of her hip.

"Mmm except for you and Naruto trying to kill each other." Suki replies as she kisses him.

She smiles when she feels Suigetsu kiss back. That was one of the nice things about taking him as her lover. He was always very, very affectionate.

There were times when Suki sincerely wondered, if he was ever going to let her leave the bed. The bed or whatever surface they were currently enjoying each other's _company_ on. She liked it that way though.

"Eh. I can't speak for Blondie, but I'll try to be nicer. If that's what you want, I'll try to be nicer. I'm not going to have you get stressed out while you're pregnant because he's an idiot." Suigetsu promises her.

"Mmm. I think that I'd like that. Mommy would also like some more of Daddy's kisses." Suki teases him with a sly smile.

"Daddy is more than happy to give Mommy as many kisses and other things as she wants." Suigetsu says with a smirk as he proceeds to capture her lips with his own.

* * *

Unbeknownst to them, the other members of Taka and Kisame were listening in. They were standing outside the room with their ears pressed to the door. They were all hoping to learn more.

"No way! Suki is pregnant!" Naruto says and before he has time to say anything else, Karin quickly covers his mouth.

The last thing that any of them needed was for Naruto to get them caught. If they got caught spying, Suki was going to be very angry and God only knows, what Suigetsu would do. Karin still couldn't believe that Suki was dating Suigetsu, but apparently she was doing a whole lot more than that now.

They were lovers. Suki was Fish Breath's lover. That was something that was going to take awhile for her to wrap her head around. How did they even kiss with those teeth of his, anyway?!

"Naruto, please be quiet. If you aren't quiet, they might overhear us." Jugo reminds him.

"Yeah. If they find out that we're spying on them, the brats are going to go nuts." Kisame says with a chuckle.

That was putting it mildly. A regular Suki was a dangerous Suki, but a pregnant Suki was even more so. This might not end well.

"Yeah. That's true. We should probably go before we get caught. It doesn't look like they know what they're planning to do about this just yet." The red head says.

"Maybe, they'll decide to go back to the Leaf. It'd be a lot safer back there for Suki and the baby." Naruto reasons brightly.

Karin resists the urge to roll her eyes at the blonde. She knew that he wanted nothing more than to get Suki back to the Leaf, but the Sensory Type wouldn't get her hopes up. Well she wouldn't get her hopes up, if she was in his position anyway.

"Maybe. Let's go though." Karin says as she leads the others off.

She was really going to have to talk to Suk about this. Woman to woman. Karin couldn't imagine what it was like to find out you were pregnant. Though since it was Suki, she could only imagine the other woman was elated at the news. Elated and terrified.

The last female Uchiha had spent most of her life trying to avenge her Clan against Itachi. Now, she wouldn't be able to fight for awhile. Not without risking harming herself and the baby. She was going to be incredible frustrated and scared to put it mildly.

"Well at least she has me. Which is a good thing because God knows Suigetsu is going to say something stupid about her pregnancy." Karin mutters to herself.


	16. Letters

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Suki and Suigetsu are happily preparing for their impending parenthood when two letters threaten to change everything.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's Note: Thanks for the reviews. I hope that you all enjoy this chapter.
> 
> Chapter Notation: The Tensai Caves aren't canon. I just made up that name as a placeholder.

Two days later and Suki was doing her best not to roll her eyes at Karin. She really didn't care for the lecture. The Uchiha woman knew that the red head was only scolding her because she was concerned, but that didn't mean that Suki had to like it.

"It's bad enough that you actually agreed to date him, but now you're pregnant! Suki, you're pregnant!" The bespectacled woman exclaims over and over again.

That was it. Suki couldn't hold it back anymore. She rolls her eyes at the other woman. Honestly, how many times did Karin have to announce her pregnancy? The woman had been doing little else for the past two days.

"Yes, Karin. I believe that we've established that I'm pregnant. I know that it wasn't smart not to use The Jutsu. We just got a bit carried away. Alright. We got a lot carried away. I should have waited until Itachi was dead. I know that, but I don't regret it." Suki tells her.

She couldn't regret it. Suki had partially restored her Clan with the man that she loved and Suigetsu was shockingly rather happy about the news. Suki hadn't really expected that, but she was glad that Suigetsu was happy about their baby.

"Suki! It's really sweet and all that you want to be a mother and I get it. I know that you lost your family, but you're going after the man who killed your first one. You can't fight while you're pregnant!" The red head seethes at her.

"I know that, Karin. I'm not stupid. I appreciate your concern, but I'm already pregnant. Scolding me for being irresponsible isn't going to change that fact." Suki snarls at her.

That's when Suigetsu came in and he was carrying a large bag in his hands. A bag that was filled to the brim with God only knows what. Suki raises an eyebrow questioningly when she notices said very full bag.

"Karin, stop being a Banshee. Suki is pregnant and she doesn't need to hear your bitching. Now, leave her the hell alone. If she needs healed, we'll call you. Other than that, stop harassing her!" Suigetsu growls at Karin.

"Harassing her?! You're the one who was harassing her! That's how she got pregnant in the first place!" The red head exclaims.

That was it. Suki twitches. She opens her mouth to say something, but the words never came out. Water did. Lots and lots of water. It was like her Fireball Jutsu, but with water instead of flames.

Karin got soaked. The other woman got soaked in presumably ice cold water, if her shrieks were anything to go by. Suki could only blink at the strange scene.

"Ha! I guess the baby thought that you needed to cool off too!" Suigetsu says smugly.

Suki wasn't sure if she should find this amusing or concerning. Once again, the baby was apparently using its abilities from the womb. That wouldn't be so bad, if it was a voluntary response on her part.

Sure, it had only been a shower for Karin. This time. Next time, it might not be though and that was more than a little concerning.

"You're such a jerk!" Karin grumbles as she storms off.

"You alright, Princess?" Sugietsu asks as he sits on the bed next to his lover.

Suki nods. She felt okay. She was just worried about what else their super baby was capable of and could only hope that it was a friendly baby.

"I think so. Is that normal for pregnant women in your Clan?" She asks warily.

"Well most of the women in my Clan were already part of the Clan by blood. So yeah. I'm surprised that you're able to do all that. I mean I figure, it was probably a fifty-fifty shot for our kid. I guess they must take after me when it comes to powers." He says smugly.

She shakes her head in amusement. It was cute when Suigetsu acted like the proud father. Well actually, Suki supposed that it wasn't an act. He did seem rather smug about all this.

"Mm I guess so. What's in the bag?" She asks.

"Oh just some stuff. There's this tea in here. It's supposed to help with the Morning Sickness. Tomatoes. I know how much you like those for some reason. Really, I don't get how such a hot ninja subsists off of rabbit food, but whatever. Oh and some books. Baby name books and stuff about pregnancy. Things like that." He says brightly.

That was strangely, the sweetest thing that she'd ever heard. Suki smiles and kisses him. He was really trying and oh yeah, he was definitely kissing back.

"If I had known you were going to be THAT happy about tomatoes, I would have gotten them for you sooner." He teases her.

"Smartass. Good job though. All that stuff should help." She says as she snuggles into him.

It was ridiculous. If Suki had her way, she'd probably just stay snuggled into him in bed. All day, everyday until she had this baby.

The young woman had never been this "clingy" before, but Suki found that she almost couldn't help it. It must have something to do with hormones. Probably some instinctive urge to seek out the comfort of her "Mate" while she was expecting.

"Good. Wow. You're pretty cuddly today. Not that I mind, but you're not like freaking out about this…right?" The violet eyed ninja asks.

"I'm not freaking out about it. Obviously, it would have been smarter to wait until after Itachi was dead. Like I told Karin though, I don't regret it. Still it would be nice to know when I'm going to turn the room into a lagoon." She says with a sigh.

"Hey, lagoons are VERY nice! Remember?" He asks with a smirk.

Suki feels her face burn bright red. Oh yeah. She definitely remembered that day. She suspected that was also the day that she had conceived. Though there really was no way to tell until she saw an actual doctor.

"Yes, they are very nice. Though I don't think the owner of this place will appreciate us turning the room into one." The Uchiha woman points out.

"Yeah. I guess that's a good point. So beautiful, are you hoping for a girl or a boy? You can tell me." He says brightly.

Suki blinks. She hadn't really thought about it. Restoring her Clan had always been an abstract goal. She had never really thought about what gender she would prefer.

"Doesn't matter to me. As long as they're healthy, I'll be happy. That and I always figured that I'd have more than one child. So sooner or later, I'd probably have both." Suki says, hating the way that her voice came out as a mumble.

"So you want more than one child with me? I should have seen that coming. If you're worried about that, you don't have to be. I mean I definitely like _making_ babies with you. So I guess as long as you're willing to put up with the Morning Sickness and looking like a pufferfish, I'm cool with it." He tells her.

It was such a Suigetsu that Suki couldn't help, but laugh. She didn't know why she'd been so worried. He'd accepted one child. Why wouldn't he accept more?

"Mmm of course. That's what this is really about, your enjoyment of the baby making process." She snorts in amusement.

"Well yeah. Daddy definitely likes making babies with Mommy." Suigetsu says smugly as he kisses her forehead.

* * *

Meanwhile Obito smirks. He had finally found them. It had taken him forever, but he had done it. Victory was well within his grasp.

"This should do it. She'll naturally be curious and come to seek me out." He says as he slides a scroll underneath the door of Suki's hotel room.

He knew that he would have to move fast or else he would be caught. The last thing that he really wanted to deal with was her teammates. What he really needed was the chance to speak with Suki one on one.

"She'll come. I know that she will." Obito says as he flickers off.

He'd explain the everything about her. The truth about the Massacre and her brother. After that, she would want revenge on the Leaf. He knew that she would.

From there, it would be a simple matter to convince her. To convince her that a new world would be better for her and the child that she was currently carrying. He knew that it was fighting dirty to prey on an expecting mother's desire to protect her child, but it was a necessary evil.

"She'll thank me in the long run." Obito mutters to himself.

Really, it was for her own good and the good of their Clan. This world had a habit of taking innocent people and destroying them. He wasn't going to let that happen to anyone else.

There would be no more Rins. No more innocent girls who died far before their time to protect a system that was frankly unworthy of protection. No. This was for Rin and all the people like her.

"In time, she'll see that. Itachi has made his choice. Suki will have to make hers." The Uchiha says to himself as he takes off towards the cave that he would meet Suki in.

The letter that he had left her had been short, but filled with all the necessary information. The last female Uchiha would know where to find him. Well in the interest of accuracy, the potentially last female Uchiha would know where to find him. After all, there was a chance that Suki was carrying a girl.

"Though I suppose that it doesn't really matter. A child is a child. Gender has little to do with it." He mutters to himself as he continues his trek to the cave.

In a strange way, he was oddly happy about the news. Obito knew that was hypocritical of him, of course. He had helped Itachi wipe out most of the Clan, but that wasn't because Obito hated his family.

It was to prevent what Itachi had been to prevent. At the time, he simply didn't have the means to create a better world. Now, he did. It was as simple as that. He would ensure that their deaths weren't in vain though.

"Their sacrifice was in necessary. In the end, a forest fire fertilizes the soil for the next generation. That's what the Massacre accomplished. Things will be better this time." He whispers to himself.

* * *

A few hours later, Suigetsu smiles as he watches Suki sleep on the bed. She looked so damn _cute_ all snuggled into her pillows and blankets. Pregnancy really agreed with her, when she wasn't emptying out the entire contents of her stomach.

His thoughts were interrupted when he notices something lying on the floor. Curious, he goes to see what it was and discovers that the object was a scroll. A scroll addressed to Suki.

"That can't be good." The white haired ninja mutters as he opens it and reads.

**_Dear Suki,_ **

**_Congratulations on your pregnancy. I'm sure that you must be very excited, but also conflicted. After all, you still want to kill Itachi and restore our Clan. Hmm. I suppose I should introduce myself._ **

**_I am Madara Uchiha. Your ancestor. I think that there are certain things that you need to be aware of._ **

**_As far as I can tell, you are planning to go back to the Leaf. You're planning to return, once this is all over. I imagine that you truly believe that you'll find your Happily Ever After there._ **

**_It's my sincere regret to inform you that won't be the case. You need to know the truth about that village. You need to know what really happened on that awful night._ **

**_If you want to know, come to the Tensai Caves tonight at midnight. We'll talk. Come alone. This is a family matter._ **

**_Sincerely, Madara Uchiha._ **

Madara Uchiha? That didn't make any sense. Suki and Itachi were the last Uchihas. Well other than their child, but their child was a fetus at this point. He or she hadn't even been born yet.

"I don't like it. I'm not going to let her rush off to talk to some guy who is claiming to be her long lost uncle or something." Suigetsu growls to himself.

He glances down at Suki and sighs. She'd kill him for it, if she ever found out. Maybe, she wouldn't have to though.

"Right. First things, first. I need to get Jugo." Suigetsu decides as he heads off to find the mostly gentle giant.

"Jugo, can you watch Suki for a bit? I have to go out and grab some more stuff for the baby and I really don't like leaving her alone, but she needs her rest." He asks.

"Of course. Don't worry. I'll look after her." The other Taka Member says.

Suigetsu smiles and nods as he heads back into the room with Suki and pens her a quick note. If something went bad, he didn't want to leave anything left unsaid. That's what made this hard.

**Dear Princess,**

**Sorry about this. I have to go out and take care of a couple things. Hopefully, I'll be back before you wake up. Jugo said that he'd look after you.**

**I want you to know that I love you and our Super Baby. If it's a boy, I want to name it after Mangetsu. He was my brother. We were close. If it's a girl, you can name her whatever you like.**

**Just don't do anything stupid, if I'm not back right away. You have to take care of yourself and the baby. I'll be back as soon as I can.**

**Love Suigetsu**

Jugo glances over Suigetsu's shoulder and gives him a funny look. Damn it. He was going to explain everything now. The other man was going to demand an explanation.

"Why does that sound like a goodbye letter? What's going on? I thought you were just going to buy some things for the baby." He says accusingly.

"I got this creepy letter from someone claiming to be a relative of Suki's. It's not signed from Itachi though. I'm going to check it out. It might be dangerous. That's why I don't want her to go. She is pregnant. I'm trusting you to keep this a secret. I don't want her to worry." The violet eyed man says.

Jugo frowns and Suigetsu sighs. He knew that he was asking a lot of the big guy. Unfortunately, there wasn't really any other way around it. This was just how it had to be.

"I'll do my best, but I can't promise that she's not going to find out. Suki's very perspective. She'll know that something is wrong." He protests.

"I know. Just try. I have to go now. This guy wants to meet at midnight." Suigetsu says as he glances down at Suki.

There was a chance that he was walking into a trap, but better him than her. Suki was pregnant. He wasn't going to let her risk it and he knew that Suki would, if she found out about that scroll.

"I promised to be her Shield. When I made that promise, I meant it. I'll do the same for your son or daughter, if it comes to it. Just make sure that it doesn't. A child really shouldn't grow up without a father." Jugo whispers.

"Yeah. I know. I'd rather not die either, but who knows? If the creep comes at me, I'll just kill his ass. After all, I am a Prodigy in the Art of Murder. I think I'll take Kisame with me as backup." He says and with that, Suigetsu heads off to meet Madara Uchiha.

* * *

About ten minutes after Suigetsu left, Suki opens her eyes and it didn't take long for her to frown. Why wasn't she as warm as usual? Suigetsu was usually like her own personal electric blanket.

"Easy, Suki. He'll be back soon." Jugo says.

"Jugo, what are you doing in our room?" The expectant mother asks in confusion.

She didn't particularly care for the panicked look on his face. That only further reinforced the notion that something was most assuredly wrong. Very wrong. What could possibly make Jugo look like that?

"Oh Suigetsu just asked me to look after you while he was gone. That's all. Go back to sleep. You need your rest. That kid is amazing. Using chakra from the room. You must be exhausted." He continues.

"Jugo, I'm not even out of my first trimester. I'm fine." Suki assures him stubbornly.

"Well just to be on the safe side. You should really go back to sleep." The orange haired man insists.

Suki feels herself twitch. Jugo was being a little too stubborn about the whole sleep thing. It was like he was stalling. Stalling for time.

"Jugo, what did Suigetsu's dumbass do?" The Uchiha demands.

The fact the other ninja was now gulping nervously, made Suki nervous. Very nervous. Suigetsu must have gone off and done something extremely stupid.

"Nothing. Just relax." Jugo says in an effort to calm her.

The poor man never stood a chance though. Suki was far too wound up now to just relax. Her lover was off doing something extremely stupid and she was apparently going to have to stop him.

"Jugo, you promised to be my Shield. I hope that doesn't include shielding me from information." Suki growls at him.

The gentle giant takes a few steps back in response. Obviously, he knew that the Uchiha was furious and Suki doubted that he really wanted to fight a pregnant woman. Idly, she notes that there were definitely some advantages to pregnancy.

"No. It doesn't, but he made me promise." The other ninja protests.

That's when Suki notices a scroll nearby and picks it up. Once she did, Jugo's terrified expression wasn't lost on her. So Suigetsu's disappearance most certainly had something to do with whatever was on this scroll. She was sure of it.

Suki quickly reads it and her eyes widen. That wasn't possible though. She and Itachi were the only Uchihas left. Well other than her baby, but still.

"I have to go!" The young woman says as she races towards the door, only to be blocked by her teammate.

"Suki, there is a reason why he didn't want you to go. You're pregnant and this could be a trap. It's far too dangerous to expose yourself like this. Let Suigetsu handle it." Jugo pleads with her.

Logically, she knew that Jugo had a point. She was pregnant and she shouldn't be going to meet some stranger. A stranger that was claiming to be her relative at that. This man was obviously crazy or was he?

Was there really a chance that Itachi had missed someone? Perhaps, he had been out on a mission at the time of the Massacre. If that was the case though, why hadn't he shown himself before now?

"I'm going. The only question is whether you are going to be smart and get out of my way or whether you're going to be dumb and be in a world of pain. It's your choice, Jugo. I'd rather not have to hurt you. I will though. I'll hurt you, if it means protecting my family." Suki warns him.

There was no way that she was going to leave Suigetsu to face whatever this was all by himself. She would find a way to help him. Besides, she was sorta indestructible now.

If anyone tried to attack her, she'd turn into water. Well at least that was Suki's theory. It would be better, if she didn't have test that out of course. She really didn't know what her baby's reflexes were like and if it hurt the baby to use its chakra like this.

"I tried. Let me go with you. I know that he said he was taking Kisame with him. Suigetsu is probably planning to use him as fodder, if things go south." The giant explains.

Suki bites her lower lip and nods. She would take Jugo with her. Honestly, she didn't want to take the risk. She didn't want to go and risk getting caught up in a battle while she was pregnant, but Suki had to.

She couldn't imagine a life without Suigetsu. Though she supposed, if he did die…she would have to try to carry on. For their super baby's sake, if nothing else.

"Alright. We're heading out. Let's grab the others. Naruto has the Nine Tails and Karin has her healing abilities. There is a reason why I wanted Karin on my team, after all." Suki says.

"I thought that you and Karin were fighting? It surprises me that you want to take her on a mission to potentially rescue Suigetsu. They've never gotten along that well. Actually, neither have Naruto and Sugietsu." The other ninja says sheepishly.

That was putting it mildly. Suigetsu didn't get along with Karin and he most assuredly did not get along with Naruto. Those two had been fighting over her since the day that they met. Suigetsu was being nicer to Naruto by avoiding him lately though.

Suki knew that her lover was just trying to please her by doing so. It was touching that he was making an effort. Sorta. Still that didn't change the fact that they would need all hands on deck for this one.

"Doesn't matter. They'll come with us willingly or I'll make them. This isn't optional." She grumbles as she heads off with Suigetsu.

"KARIN! NARUTO! GET OUT HERE NOW!" Suki yells and the two ninjas quickly scramble out into the hall to see what was wrong.

Suki blinks at their appearance. Their hair was messed up and their lips were slightly swollen. There were also what looked like lovebites on Naruto's neck.

It looked like the two of them were a thing now. Well that was nice, but she really needed to focus on getting her own lover back.

"Suki, what's wrong?!" Naruto asks.

"We're going to the Tensei Caves. Suigetsu is going to meet someone there. Someone left a note claiming to be an Uchiha. I guess that he didn't want me to go. He didn't want to risk me going in case it was a trap." Suki mutters.

"For once, he's right. Suki, this has trap written all over this. Normally, ti wouldn't matter. I know that you can handle yourself in a fight, but you're pregnant. You really shouldn't be rushing off into situations like this." Karin says.

Suki feels herself twitch. It wasn't anything that she hadn't considered before and she knew that the red head had her best interests at heart, but it was annoying. It was really annoying how the other female ninja kept lecturing her about her pregnancy.

"Karin, I'm not going to let my child's father potentially die while I sit around and do nothing. We're going. You can either come willingly or I'll make you, but you are coming." Suki seethes at her.

"We'll come with you, Suki. Don't worry. I might not like the jerk, but I know what it's like to grow up without a father and I don't really want that for your kid." Naruto says.

"Alright. Alright. We'll come. Let's go rescue his stupid ass before he gets himself killed." Karin says and Suki nods approvingly as the rest of Taka (and Naruto) race off towards the Tensai Caves.


	17. Consider That

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After a confrontation with Obito, Suki is left wondering what her next move should be and what the truth means for her relationship with Itachi.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's Note: Thanks for the reviews. I hope that you all enjoy this chapter.
> 
> Chapter Notation: I'm not sure exactly how Obito was related to Sasuke and Itachi in the show. I'm just going to go with distant cousin in this one. That may or may not be canon. Oh and this chapter is the calm before the storm.

"You know, your girl is going to kill you for this. I wouldn't want to be in your sandals, if we survived this. Suki has one Hell of a temper. A real hothead. I suppose that's to be expected though. She does come from a Fire Clan." Kisame says cheerfully as the two of them make their way towards the Tensai Caves.

Suigetsu shoots him a dirty look. While all of that was true, he really didn't want to hear it. He needed to focus on whoever this Madara was. They could be walking straight into an ambush.

"Will you be quiet? We don't need him to know that we're here. It's better to scope out the area first." The white haired ninja scolds him.

Thankfully, that seemed to do the trick. Suigetsu knew that he was taking a gamble by bringing Kisame with him, but he wasn't going to go alone. He had Suki and a baby to think of. If something bad happened, well he had no issue leaving Kisame's ass behind while he made a getaway.

He liked Kisame. Suigetsu actually liked him a lot, but he was no Suki and he definitely wasn't Suigetsu's son or daughter. If it came down to it, self-preservation instincts would kick in. It was nothing personal.

"That's not a bad plan. Though I have to wonder why you're here and my descendant isn't." Suigetsu hears someone say.

That's when the sword lover whirls around to come face to face with a man in an orange mask and one crimson red eye. A Sharingan.

"Tobi?" Kisame asks in confusion and that's when Suigetsu frowns.

Tobi was the name of one of the Akatsuki Members. Now that he thought about it, he was well known for wearing an orange mask. Surely though, if Tobi had a Sharingan that would have been something that was well known. What was going on here?

"Ah and you ruined part of the fun. I'd say that it's good to see you again, but your arrival is most inconvenient. I was hoping to be reunited with my distant cousin Suki and yet, I don't see her with you." Tobi taunts them.

"Kid, stay back. Something isn't right. That's Tobi, but it's not. The Tobi I know was a bit of a clown and kinda simple. This one's voice is all wrong and last I checked, he didn't have a Sharingan." Kisame warns him.

That was bad. If Kisame was noticing a difference, there was probably a reason. This was a trap. It had to be. With that in mind, he unsheathes his sword.

"Now, now. There's no need for any of that. That hurts my feelings, by the way. Kisame, that's a rather rude thing to say about your own teammate. Don't you think?" The other man asks while his Sharingan whirls rather ominously.

"I don't give a damn, if it hurts your feelings or not. You've got a Shairngan and didn't mention that fact to any of us. Don't you think that Itachi has a right to know that and where is your other one?! How come you only have one hole in your mask anyway?!" Kisame demands.

_He only needs one hole because he only has one eye,_ Suigetsu thinks to himself. This guy for whatever reason only had one eye. He'd probably stolen the Sharingan from someone.

"He probably tried to steal himself a fancy pair of eyes and bit off a bit more than he could chew. My guess is that he attacked an Uchiha and they tore into him good. He only managed to get one eye." The white haired ninja says.

"That's not a bad guess, but no. That's not what happened. I assure you that this Sharingan isn't like Kakashi's. Mine is natural. Though that knowledge will be of little use to you. Where is Suki?" He demands.

Like Hell was he letting this creep talk to Suki. Suigetsu was going to find out what was going on first. This guy wasn't giving him good vibes. If he had "lied" to Kisame and they were both members of the Akatsuki, that didn't make the Prodigy in the Art of Murder very eager to trust him to say the least.

"You really shouldn't be worried about the kid, right now. If Itachi finds out that you're an Uchiha and you didn't tell him, he's going to tear you to pieces. Actually, he might do that anyway. He doesn't have the best history when it comes to getting along with his family." Kisame taunts him with a smirk.

"Oh come now, Kisame. I know that you're Itachi's partner. I'm quite certain that you know what really happened on that night. There is no need to act as though Itachi is really the demon that he pretends to be." Tobi replies.

The demon that he pretends to be?! What the Hell did that even mean?! He had killed his whole family! Of course, he was the bad guy!

Suigetsu had some pretty loose standards for what qualified as the bad guy, but seriously. There were some lines that you just didn't cross and killing your family was one of them! He couldn't imagine hurting Suki or their child!

"You talk a lot. If you don't say something useful soon though, I'm going to cut out your tongue!" Suigetsu says as he lunges towards the other man.

"Suigetsu, be careful! You don't know what you're dealing with!" Kisame says as it became rather apparent that neither did the other Akatsuki Member.

* * *

Meanwhile Suki was heading towards the caves with Karin, Jugo, and Naruto. When she got her hands on Suigetsu, she was going to kill him. She was going to kill him, revive him, and then smack him around a few times for good measure. How could he be this foolish?!

"Suki, don't worry. It's going to be okay. I don't like the guy, but Suigetsu is pretty strong. That and he brought Kisame with him. I'm sure that they're fine. This is only one guy, even if this Madara wants to pick a fight. It's still two against one." Naruto says, trying to reassure her.

Suki felt less than reassured though. She could defeat a thousand opponents herself, if none of them were more than moderately skilled. She knew that Naruto could spam an army worth of Shadow Clones. There were ways to win a battle, even if you were horribly outnumbered.

"Let's just keep going. The sooner we find them, the better our chances are." Suki says and with that, she flits off.

She needed to find him. Suki needed to find him and make sure that Suigetsu was okay. That and she wanted to learn more about this man who was claiming to be an Uchiha.

The young woman found it highly unlikely that Itachi had missed one of their relatives, but it was always a possibility. Of course, she wasn't going to just take his word for it. She would want to see a Sharingan. A natural Sharingan.

"Suki! Wait up!" Jugo and the others call out as they try to follow the frantic woman.

It was no use though. Suki was a woman on a mission. Well two missions really. Save Suigetsu and figure out who the Hell Madara Uchiha was!

* * *

Elsewhere Itachi growls in frustration. Everyone had left the place where Taka was staying. That meant that something was up. This wasn't good.

The elder Uchiha Sibling follows them stealthily. He knew that he couldn't allow himself to be seen. Not yet. Itachi had to find out what was going on.

"She never makes things easy for me." He mutters.

It would be too much to ask for to expect Suki to stay put. He had to let her kill him. After that, she could take his eyes and start her new life. Her new family.

Unfortunately, Suki was running off somewhere. He had a sinking feeling in his stomach that he knew where. Obito was about to make his move or should he say Madara?

"I have to hurry." He whispers to himself.

One way or another, Itachi was sure that this would be the end. Obito or Suki would kill him, if Itachi was right and Obito was making his move. He could only hope that Suki would be the one to get his eyes. Not Obito.

That's when he got closer to the caves and could see that Suki and her friends had made it there as well. They were standing outside of the entrance. It was likely that they wanted to survey the area before rushing in.

"Good. So I have taught her something, after all." Itachi whispers to himself.

That wouldn't be enough to save her from the truth though. Not if Obito had his way. He had to act quickly. If he killed Obito, Itachi could save Suki from having her entire world turned upside down.

He would have to do it quickly though. Itachi would only get one chance at this. As long as he could do it before Obito could explain, everything would be fine.

"Guys! Back up! Back up! Flying Shark!" Karin calls out as Taka and Naruto do exactly that.

The girl wasn't kidding. There was a shark flying at them. Though it was clear this shark was already dead and it was flying backwards. It had been hit. Fatally hit.

A shark could only mean one thing. Kisame was in that cave and he was engaged in battle. His partner had a Summoning Contract with sharks.

"Damn it, Kisame. What have you gotten yourself into?" Itachi asks himself.

"I can't believe that a shark just came flying at us!" Naruto says.

"Idiot. Kisame specializes in Water Jutsus. It's not far fetched to think that he might have summoned one. That means there is a battle going on though and Kisame is fighting at least or was as of at least two minutes ago. Come on." Suki says as she darts inside the cave.

"Suki! Wait! It might not be safe!" Jugo calls out as he chases off after her.

That was a damn good point. Obito Uchiha was not a man to be taken lightly. Unfortunately, Suki really was his foolish little sister. She was charging straight into a rather dangerous situation and she was pregnant.

If his illness didn't kill him, this woman probably would. The young woman was just as likely to kill him by giving him a heart attack as with her sword. Good grief!

* * *

"Damn it! Suki!" Naruto growls and with that, everyone follows the her into the cave.

"Ah there you are, Suki. I was wondering when you were going to join us." A man wearing an orange mask says.

He had a Sharingan. Either he really was an Uchiha or he had stolen one, Suki thinks to herself. She wasn't sure whether to be overjoyed at potentially discovering a member of her family or terrified that he might be a Collector.

Collectors were people who collected ninja gear and body parts. There was a lot that could be learned from both and in the case of body parts, sometimes you could even gain the new abilities. If the bloodline could be implanted in someone who wasn't from the Clan where it originated as was the case with the Sharingan.

"I would be more worried about him than me, when I get through with him. You said your name was Madara. What do you know about Itachi and the Massacre?!" She hisses.

Suki was in no mood for cryptic messages. She was pregnant and she had been worried half to death about Suigetsu. If this man wanted to beat around the bush, he would regret it.

"That's not Madara. That's Tobi. He's a member of the Akatsuki. He's posing as Madara." Kisame says.

The entire cave was flooded. Suki could only assume that was because of either Kisame or Suigetsu. Perhaps both. They both favored water techniques.

"I don't give a damn what his name is. What I want to know is what he knows about the Massacre!" Suki seethes.

"Suki, let's get out of here. This guy is a creep." Suigetsu says and Suki notes that his arm had been enlarged.

He had enlarged it to be about three times its usual size. Thanks to his family's techniques, he could enlarge his body by swelling it with water. Thus increasing his strength.

If he felt it was necessary to do that, that meant that there had been a battle. A battle that was likely still going on by the way. Suki unsheathes her sword. One way or another, she was going to get answers.

"He might be a creep, but that doesn't matter. What happened that night?!" She demands.

"Silly boy. Never argue with a pregnant woman. Well you have been told a lie, Suki. You've been lied to your entire life by your village and your own brother." The masked man says.

"Guys! Someone's coming! I can sense a lot of chakra heading our way!" Karin calls out.

Suigetsu's eyes narrow. He didn't like the sounds of this. First, there was this creepy Tobi guy and now there was another person who was crashing the party. His every instinct was screaming at him to get Suki the Hell out of there.

"Silence! You have no right to speak of such things to her!" A familiar voice thunders at Tobi.

That's when the white haired ninja turns his head towards the source of that voice. The voice that belonged to the man who had taken everything away from Suki. The Clan Slayer.

"Oh Itachi. How marvelous of you to join us. You see, your brother doesn't want you to know the truth. I do though." The other man continues.

"What truth?!" Suki snarls in outrage.

"QUIET!" Itachi says as he lunges at Obito.

Suigetsu blinks. From what little he knew of Itachi, that wasn't like him. Still it did provide a wonderful opening.

"Kisame!" He shouts and the blue skinned man nods as he summons another shark.

The shark flies at Itachi and Suki watches in confusion. Why would Kisame attack Itachi? It didn't make any sense. He was Itachi's partner.

"Oh don't worry. I know your brother. He can dodge that easy." Kisame says with a fearsome looking grin.

Suki still didn't understand, but the Akatsuki Member was right about that much. Itachi was able to dodge, but not fast enough. He wasn't able to dodge fast enough to prevent "Tobi" or "Madara" from saying what he wanted to say.

"Indeed he can. As I was saying, the Uchihas were plotting a coup. The Leaf ordered Itachi to commit genocide against them to prevent it. He agreed to do so on the condition that you were spared. You were a young child at the time. You played no part in the coup." He explains.

Suki felt her entire body go numb. It was if she was paralyzed in shock. She literally couldn't move.

"THAT CAN'T BE TRUE! THE LEAF WOULDN'T DO SOMETHING LIKE THAT!" Naruto thunders.

His words echoed across the caves, but they rang hollow to Suki. While she was sure that Naruto believed them with all her heart, she wasn't so sure that she could say the same. Itachi had tried to attack Tobi. He wouldn't have acted so recklessly without a good reason.

She had thought him evil incarnate for years, but never once did Suki question his intelligence. If the man was just making things up, there wouldn't have been a need to react so violently. It was true.

"Suki, you don't actually believe this creep! Tell me that you don't actually believe him!" Naruto yells at her.

"Shut up!" Suigetsu says as he rushes over to Suki's side.

Suki was dimly aware of the fact that her lover was standing next to her, but not enough to acknowledge him directly. Tobi's words still rang in her ear. _"He agreed to do so on the condition that you would be spared."_

At the time, it hadn't made any sense. Why would Itachi kill their entire family and let her live? She was far too weak to stand against him. It would have been a simple matter to kill her. She was the only witness.

"You're not only a murderer. You're a liar as well." She hisses at Itachi in a voice barley above a whisper.

It would have made more sense to kill her. Not doing so had made him a Criminal Ninja. Itachi could have lied. He could have framed someone else for it, but he hadn't. He had made it publicly known that the Uchiha Clan had died by his hand.

"That's right. He is a liar, but he's the liar who sacrificed everything to protect you. It's not really his fault. Itachi has always been such a martyr. He continues to delude himself into thinking that that the Leaf Village is worth saving. That this world is worth preserving. Tell me, what kind of village forces a thirteen year old boy to kill his own family and then covers it up?" Tobi asks her.

"JUST SHUT UP!" Suki roars at him as water lashes out from her hands, creating what could only be described as a mini tsunami that came rushing towards "Madara."

She wasn't thinking clearly. At the moment, she didn't care if it was a fatal attack or not. All that mattered was hearing Itachi confirm it or hearing him deny it.

"Suki." Suigetsu calls out to her.

The Uchiha woman hears him say her name, but she doesn't reply. She would talk to her lover later. Right now, she just had to know the truth. Had most of her life been based on a lie?!

"Is it true, Itachi?! Did you kill them on the Leaf's orders?!" The raven haired woman rages at him.

"Suki, there is a lot that you don't understand. It's not nearly as simple as it seems on the surface. If I didn't do it, a Civil War would have erupted within the Leaf. That would have made us weak. Other villages would have attacked. It could have set off another Great Ninja War." Itachi says.

It was true then. Itachi was justifying it. That meant that he had been ordered by their own village to slay their Clan. The only reason she was still breathing was because she had been too young to know what was going on.

Her hand immediately goes to her still flat stomach. It wouldn't stay that way for much longer though. She couldn't serve a village that had ordered the butchering of her own family! She refused to take her child to that place!

"Suki, are you still with me?" Suigetsu asks again.

"Yes, I am." She answers as she considers the possibilities.

"Kid, if you go off halfcocked and attack the Leaf, it won't end well. Let's say that you win, do you think the other Ninja Villages are just going to overlook the fact that you overthrew one?" Kisame asks.

That's when she hears a thud. The waters of her Jutsu had receded and thrown Tobi against the wall. He wasn't dead though. The man was slowly getting up.

"I see that you need some time to think about all of this. That's perfectly understandable. It must be difficult to know that your own village killed your family and that your entire adult life has been based on a lie. I will find you soon enough. We'll discuss the matter later." Obito says as he Flickers off.

"It's bad when Kisame is the voice of reason." Karin whispers to Naruto and the blonde nods in agreement.

Suki could understand why Itachi had done it. At least intellectually, she could understand. He hadn't wanted to trigger another Great Ninja War. The Leaf deserved to be burned to the ground, but there were innocent people who would have been killed in the fallout.

Not doing anything though, that left a bad taste in her mouth. The Leaf simply had to be punished somehow, but not with violence. As much as she wanted to tear that treacherous apart with her bare hands, doing so would only put her child in jeopardy. No, she had to be smart about this.

"You're not actually thinking of attacking that place, are you?! Suki, you're pregnant!" Suigetsu reminds her.

"No. At least not directly. I can't let them get away with it though. Genocide is still an international crime. Though they would probably justify it by saying they were planning a coup." She seethes.

"They were planning a coup, Suki. I'm sorry that I lied to you. I had no choice though. It was the only way to protect you." Itachi says.

Suki didn't feel very fucking protected! She wanted to scream. She wanted to hit something, but doing any of those things would accomplish nothing. She sighs as she looks at Naruto.

"I'm not going back to the Leaf. I won't burn it to the ground as I want to do, but I won't go back there. Not unless it's to utterly humiliate them. I'm going to make sure that everyone knows what really happened. Itachi saved all of them and they branded him a Criminal Ninja. They made me their puppet. That's not going to go unpunished." Suki hisses.

"Suki, I don't know what to say…" Naruto whispers.

That just made it worse. Logically, she knew that it wasn't Naruto's fault. He was even younger than her. The blonde had nothing to do with the Massacre, but the other ninja had come to symbolize the Leaf Village in her mind. So it was hard to remember that fact.

"You know the truth now. You hold the future of our family in your womb. Whatever you decide won't just affect you anymore. It also affects your child. Consider that carefully before you start a war." Itachi says.

"And what do you suggest?" Suki replies, clenching her fists so hard that she could feel her nails dig into her skin…drawing blood.

"I suggest we forget about the Leaf Village. I'm not letting those backstabbing liars anywhere near you or our super baby. Itachi apparently isn't the source of all evil, but he still killed your family. Do you still want to kill him? Because I will so kill him for you, if you want." Suigetsu promises her.

Suki sighs and caresses her lover's cheek. She knew that Suigetsu would try. He really would try to kill Itachi for her, if she asked. She wasn't going to though.

Her feelings for Itachi were a sea of complicated emotions at the moment. He had murdered their family. She should hate him, but he had done so to prevent even more bloodshed. Itachi had spared her.

"No. I don't want you to kill him. Well at least not yet. I don't know what I want." She whispers.

"Alright. Well let's just go somewhere far away. Somewhere that the Leaf won't be able to touch you." The violet eyed ninja suggests.

"I may have a compromise. Am I correct in assuming that the Leaf believes that Suki is going to come back after I'm dead?" Itachi asks.

Suki bristles. She still didn't know what to think about him, but Itachi was Itachi. He was always so damn bossy.

"Yes, you're right. So?" The raven haired woman demands.

"Have Naruto tell them that Suki has decided to marry someone from another village. That she wants to restore her Clan somewhere that the horrors of her past won't haunt her." Itachi says.

Suki twitches. What was Itachi talking about?! What village was going to take her in?!

"Hey! If she's marrying anyone, that would be me! You can't just decide stuff like that for her!" Suigetsu snarls.

"You're from the Mist Village. I happen to be rather well acquainted with Mei in one of my disguises. She would pardon you, Suigetsu. Once I explained everything to her, she would let you all move there. She's probably going to despise me for deceiving her, but she wouldn't turn away a pregnant woman for something that isn't her fault." Itachi answers him.

Suki blinks as the pieces fall into place. Itachi had seduced a Kage! That was why he was so certain that Mei would grant them citizenship and despise him for deceiving her.

"Do you really think that your lover will want us to stay there, once she knows how big of a liar you are?! You didn't even tell her your real name!" Suki rages at him.

"As I said, she'll come to revile me. Still she's not the sort of woman that would make a pregnant woman suffer for my sins. You would be safe there. You could start over." The elder Uchiha Sibling offers.

Suki pauses as she considers her options. She could attack the Leaf or she could seek shelter in the Mist Village. Revenge for her dead Clan or a better life for her child.

She bites her lower lip as she glances at Suigetsu and Naruto. Naruto would probably still fight for the Leaf. If she wanted to destroy the Leaf, she would have to kill him. Suigetsu would do whatever she wanted, but she'd be risking their child's life to get revenge.

"Talk to Mei." She says in a tone barely above a whisper.


	18. A Lot of Explaining to Do

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> As everyone arrives in the Mist Village, Itachi has a lot of explaining to do.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's Note: Thanks for the reviews. I hope that you all enjoy this chapter.
> 
> Chapter Notation: I'm taking some liberties with the descriptions of the Mist Village, it's culture, and Suigetsu's background. Some of it will be canon and some will not. Hopefully though, you'll all enjoy this take on Mei's Village.

A few days later, Suki was in the Mist Village. It was strange to think that she was now walking on the same streets that Suigetsu had presumably grown up in. Though the Mist Village was aptly named, there was a cloud of mist hanging over the village that seemed to be something of a permanent fixture in the daily lives of those that lived there.

The architecture was different than the Leaf's, but that was to be expected. Suki had traveled across the Five Nations and noticed that each Ninja Village had its own unique style. The Mist Village seemed to favor tall buildings that were either shaped like an oval or circle, whenever it was practical to do so.

"There's something tragically beautiful about it." Suki whispers as she walks with Suigetsu towards the Mizukage's Office.

The landscape was hauntingly beautiful. There were many rocky cliffs in the background and the mist hung over them almost like a protective blanket or a curtain of tears. She couldn't decide which. The fact that there seemed to be gardens on top of most of the villages only added to the surreal scene.

Well Suki assumed they were gardens. She wasn't really sure. There tended to be a lot of green on top of the buildings. Perhaps it was just for camouflage purposes though.

"Yeah. It's been awhile since I was last here. I expect it's the same for Kisame." Suigetsu says as he wraps one arm around her waist.

"You could say that." Kisame says as he looks around and Suki smiles wistfully.

It didn't really matter how far you traveled or how far away from home you had strayed. There was just something very personal about the bond between a ninja and the village of her birth. Sadly, she was feeling less and less nostalgic for the Leaf Village by the minute.

Suki wouldn't go back there without it meaning utter humiliation for the Leaf. She'd make them pay somehow. She couldn't do that the traditional way with the use of force, but there were other ways to hurt a village.

"Suki, I'm glad that you've seen reason. This will be better for you and your baby." Itachi says.

She found it more than a little ironic that Itachi was playing the part of a concerned uncle. Though she knew that she was being too harsh on him. It wasn't as if Itachi had wanted to kill their clan.

He had been presented with an impossible choice. Their family or their village. He'd chosen the village and the rest of the ninja world. Suki wasn't sure what she would have done in his place, but the young woman could understand his decision.

"What's it like? Being pregnant, I mean. Does it hurt? Do you feel any different?" Naruto asks cheerfully.

Naruto just couldn't be silent. He always had to fill the air with useless chatter. It was both a blessing and a curse. Whenever he babbled, she felt less alone. Conversely, it could also be rather annoying at times. Right now, it was a little of both.

"Other than the Morning Sickness and the occasional use of Water Jutsus, I feel fine. It doesn't hurt." Suki says as they continue their trek.

She wasn't going to mention the fact that she suddenly felt far more cuddly than usual. The blonde would never let her live that down and he really didn't need to know that anyway. A woman had to have some secrets, after all.

"I can't believe that neither of you remembered to use The Jutsu." Karin says.

"Did you remember to use it? I saw those lovebites, Karin. Don't try to pretend that I'm the only one with an _enthusiastic_ lover." Suki retorts.

The Uchiha woman refused to be lectured about her pregnancy. It might not have been planned, but she was happy about it and she was going to protect her baby. Well her and Suigetsu's super baby, she mentally corrects herself.

The child could already use chakra from the womb. Subconsciously. It had to be subconsciously. There was no way that was capable of conscious thought this early on. It was only the First Trimester!

"How long are you going to use that disguise?" Jugo asks Itachi softly, choosing to ignore the blushes and indignant replies of Naruto and Karin to Suki's outrageous observation.

"Long enough to get us into the village and to see Mei. Mei will recognize me in this form. I'm known as Dai here." Itachi explains.

Suki was sure that Mei would _recognize_ Itachi alright. Idly, she wonders about the possibility that she might already be an aunt. She quickly dismisses it though. She might get caught up in the throes of passion and forget to use it, but Itachi wouldn't.

The chances of her being an aunt were almost nonexistent. Though Suki couldn't help, but feel sorry for the other woman. She had no idea who her lover was. Finding out the truth was going to be very painful for her and it made the young woman wince just to think about it.

"Dai. Got it." Naruto says and with that, they arrive at the outside entrance the Mizukage Building.

"I need to speak with Lady Mei." Dai says to one of the guards as Suki watches anxiously.

This probably wasn't going to go over well. It was one thing for Mei's lover to ask for a few transfers. It was another for the Mizukage to discover that said lover had been living a double life and was one of the most wanted Criminal Ninjas in the world.

"Hey, it's going to be okay. If worse comes to worst, we'll just get the Hell out of here." Suigetsu whispers to her and Suki smiles.

It was sweet how he was trying to comfort her. Unfortunately, Suki had a feeling that running might turn out to be their best bet. Mei was going to be furious.

* * *

A few tense minutes pass by as the guard goes and informs Mei that Dai had returned. When the MizuKage came out she immediately bounds over to Dai and embraces him tightly. Itachi winces in response.

He knew what her was about to do was going to hurt Mei and that was never his intention. Sadly, it was unavoidable. He had taken Suki's first family away from her. He would whatever it took to protect her second.

"Thank you, for agreeing to see me on such short notice." He says with a wistful smile.

She looked beautiful as always. It was such a shame that her beautiful smile was about to become a snarl of rage. This wasn't going to be pleasant and he knew that, but it was time for him to face the consequences of his actions.

"Of course. I see that you finally found her and according to Tsunade, she came willingly. Wait. What is an Akatsuki Member doing with you?!" Mei demands, once she notices that Kisame was amongst htem.

"Why wouldn't I be with him? I am his partner, after all. Though the brats kidnapped me for awhile. It still counts." The other ninja replies as if was the most obvious thing in the world.

Mei's eyes narrow in confusion and suspicion. That was only to be expected though. He had wanted to soften the blow, but Kisame had forced his hand.

"Suki and her friends would very much be interested in settling in your village. She's pregnant and wants her Clan to have a fresh start. She wants to start over somewhere that the horrors of her past won't haunt her as intensely as they would in the Leaf Village." Itachi begins.

He knew that his time as Dai was rapidly approaching its end. That was heartbreaking. The elder Uchiha Sibling had greatly enjoyed being someone else. Someone who was free to love and people didn't scorn, but all good things eventually did come to an end. Well at least that had been his experience.

"Congratulations on your pregnancy, Suki. Though I must admit that I'm surprised you would start a family with Itachi still out there. As for accepting you into my village, I'm not certain I can do that. I do not wish to start a conflict over the Leaf." The beautiful Kage replies.

Itachi smiles bitterly at the irony. Mei was worried that Itachi would attack a pregnant Suki. She had no way of knowing that he was standing right in front of her. That was about to change though.

"It's a very long story. I'm sorry for this. Truly, I am." Suki whispers.

"Oh I'm certain that it is a long story, but what are you apologizing to me for? You've done me no personal wrong. Well other than unintentionally keeping Dai away from me while he tracked you down. That and do you know why Kisame called Dai his partner? Clearly, he has gone mad. That's the only rational explanation that I can think of." The other woman asks.

The elder Uchiha braces himself. He had always known that this was going to happen. Now that the moment had actually arrived though, Itachi was reluctant to go through with it.

"She's apologizing to you because she knows that I'm about to betray all the trust that you've placed in me. I won't ask for your forgiveness because I do not deserve it, but please do take them in. Naruto will speak with Tsunade. There need be no conflict between the Leaf and Mist." Itachi whispers softly.

The seriousness of the moment wasn't lost on anyone. For once, Taka wasn't bickering and even Kisame was behaving himself. Itachi would have laughed, if the situation wasn't so heartbreaking.

"What do you mean by that? How have you betrayed my trust?!" Mei demands.

"My real name isn't Dai. It's Itachi Uchiha and Kisame is correct. I was his partner in the Akatsuki. I'm no longer a member of the Akatsuki at the moment. In light of recent events, I don't know what my actual fate will be. If you wish to kill me, I will not stop you. All that I ask, is that you take Suki and her friends into your village in memory of the love that we once shared." He says as he lifts the Genjutsu.

"YOU'RE LIAR! LAVA RELEASE!" She snarls at him as she aims her deadly attack at the other ninja.

Itachi didn't bother to dodge it. He deserved it. There was a chance that if he died, she might be more reasonable and take them in afterwards.

That had been his plan, anyway. He was planning on going out with some grace and dignity. Itachi needed to give the woman something. Some sign that he was truly sorry for what he had done. For deceiving her. It didn't work out that way though.

"HEY! The man was trying to have a conversation with you!" Kisame says as he uses the Samehada to block the attack.

The sword screams in pain, but it does the trick. Itachi never wanted to hear such agonizing sounds again. The Samehada was primarily an aquatic blade. To be hit with the Lava Release must have been nothing short of excruciating.

"One criminal, protecting another! How sweet!" Mei seethes as she readies for another attack.

She never got to release it though. Suigetsu flickers behind her and aims his fingers at her ear in the shape of a gun. If he had to, he would use Water Bullets. He just hoped it wouldn't come to that.

"I'm all for smacking Itachi around. He caused my Princess over there a lot of pain, but you're also throwing out some rather deadly Jutsus in the same room as a pregnant woman." He hisses in her ear.

"He lied to me! He's been hiding his true identity from me this entire time. Not only that, he has made me an accomplice to his crimes! I've been unknowingly harboring a fugitive. If the Leaf finds out about this, it could start a war!" Mei screams at him.

Suigetsu couldn't blame the woman. If he was in her place, he was be mad as Hell too. Though he wasn't going to let her rage. Not in the same room as his pregnant Suki.

"Yeah. You have every right to be pissed, but he's got some interesting justifications. I think that everyone can get their happy ending in this story. So calm the fuck down and listen or else I will blow your brains out. I don't want to do it, but I will." The sword lover warns her.

The expectant father knew that the Mizukage knew that he wasn't making an idle threat. His Clan was native to this village. She was well aware of what he was capable of and that he could actually shoot her with a Water Bullet right now. One shot and she'd be dead.

"Very well. Lower your gun. You have a lot of explaining to do, Itachi Uchiha." She says, spitting out the name like venom.

The wince on Itachi's face wasn't lost on Suigetsu. Itachi had done a lot of horrible things, even by his standards. Though it was obvious that his feelings for the Kage weren't fake.

Not that it mattered much at this point. The violet eyed ninja doubted that Mei was going to give him the time of day, after this. That's assuming that she even let him live in the first place. Something that he wasn't entirely sure that she would do at the moment.

"Yes, I know. My Clan was isolated by the rest of the Leaf Village for years. That isolation breed fear and resentment on both sides. Eventually, the Uchiha Clan decided to overthrow the Leaf. The plot was discovered though and I was ordered to kill them." Itachi explains in a weary voice.

"It was our family or the rest of the village. If he hadn't done it, the village would have fallen into a Civil War. Assuming that we won, the Leaf would have been crippled." Suki whispers.

"And other villages would have taken advantage of that fact. Another Great Ninja War would have been triggered. I'm presuming that some sort of deal was struck. Suki's life in exchange for Itachi becoming a Criminal Ninja." Mei says thoughtfully.

It all made perfect sense. The easiest way to do it would be to have an Uchiha pull of the Massacre. That way their hands would be clean.

Suki was likely spared because of her age. That and she would tie up the loose end that was Itachi. Once she killed him, the Uchiha woman would be the hero and the truth behind the Massacre would never be known.

"You're right. It was." Itachi replies cautiously.

She didn't know what to feel about this. Itachi had lied to her, yes. Though in all objectivity, she couldn't expect him to tell her that. She wouldn't have believed him.

"Naruto, you may speak with Lady Tsunade about the transfers. As for Itachi, I don't know what I am going to do with him. For now, Itachi you are to continue masquerading as Dai. We'll figure something out after the child is born. Your chamber privileges have been revoked as well." She states.

"Chamber privileges?" Suigetsu asks Itachi with a grin.

"It's not what you think. I was too ill for such strenuous activities." Itachi says with a sigh.

Mei supposed that she should have counted her blessings for that. The Kage had no idea what she would have done, if she had gotten pregnant from any of their encounters. Before she knew the truth, she would have been elated. Now, she wasn't so sure.

"Shame. I mean she's no Suki, but that's one hot Kage." Suigetsu says with a shrug.

"Do you want YOUR chamber privileges revoked?!" Suki snarls at the sword lover.

"Whoa! Whoa! I said that she WASN'T you. That means that I prefer you over her! There's no need to revoke my privileges!" Suigetsu whines.

Mei snorts in amusement. Well if nothing else, Suki certainly knew how to handle the other Mist Ninja. Which was a damn good thing, considering she was apparently pregnant.

"That's better." Suki grumbles and Suigetsu immediately makes his way over to his lover and wraps his arms around her.

Mei didn't catch what the man said, but it must have been good. Soon enough the Uchiha woman's ivory pale skin had turned a rosy shade of pink. He was making her blush over something.

"Right. Lady Mei, may I borrow one of your messenger hawks?" Naruto asks.

"Of course, you may. Come with me. I'll show you where we keep them." Mei says as she strides over to the blonde.

"I don't mean to be rude, My Lady. Though I have to ask, where will we be staying where all this is sorted out?" Jugo asks politely.

Hmm. The big one had manners. Suki's little lover could learn a thing or two from him.

"I'll have some guards show you to some guestrooms. You may use them while we get this all sorted out." She states and with that, Mei walks off.

* * *

A few minutes later, the guards came and showed them to their rooms. Suki looks around curiously, before sitting on the bed. It was a nice water bed. Perhaps, she should have expected that though. This was the Mist Village.

The room's walls were baby blue and the carpet was a stormy gray. It reminded her of the ocean and she supposed that's what the designer likely attended. There was also a dresser, a closet, and a connected bathroom. Oh and the fireplace was a nice touch.

"You're not really mad at me for that Mei comment, are you?" Suigetsu asks a bit warily.

Suki knew that she was being a little ridiculous. There was no denying that Mei was a beautiful woman, but Suigetsu had never given her a reason to believe he would stray. Still it had irritated her.

"I wouldn't say mad. I would say annoyed." She grumbles.

"Come on, Princess. Don't be annoyed with me. I did just stop Mei from tearing this place apart." Suigetsu says as he sits behind her and wraps his arms around her waist while placing soft kisses to the back of her neck.

That was cheating and he knew it! Suigetsu knew how sensitive her neck was. She was about to tell reprimand him when the Uchiha woman feels his teeth lightly sinking into the skin and she moans.

"That's f-fighting dirty and you know it." She sighs in pleasure as she arches back against him.

"Yeah. I know, but I love those little sounds you make when I do it. Like you just can't get enough of it. I love you, Suki. You should know that by now. I don't want anyone else. I was just teasing your brother. That's all." He says as he continues kissing her neck and lightly caresses her.

God that felt good. There was something about his touch that was equal parts erotic, relaxing, and exciting. She'd never really be able to articulate the feeling she got when he touched her.

"I forgive you, but don't do it again." She grumbles.

"Alright. I'll be a good boy. Speaking of that, you should probably get some rest for the sake of our bouncing baby boy or girl." He says.

Suki sighs and nods. He was right. She hated to admit it, but Suigetsu was right. She did feel exhausted. Whether it was just an emotional exhaustion or her pregnancy was draining her more than expected, she didn't know.

"Yeah. I guess that it couldn't hurt to get some sleep." Suki agrees as she rolls over onto her side and lays her head down on the pillow.

"That's a good Princess. Don't worry about all this stuff. We'll get it sorted out. Hell, Mei agreed to let us stay here. That was after Itachi told her the truth. Anything is possible." Suigetsu says as he lays next to her and wraps the blankets over them.

The Uchiha woman nods in agreement as she snuggles against him. Snuggling up to Suigetsu was very nice. Not that she was going to tell him that. Suki did have some pride.

"Mhm." She agrees with a yawn.

"Besides, I think you'll like the Mist Village better anyway. It's not nearly as loud as the Leaf or filled with goodie two shoe blondes." He says and Suki snorts in amusement.

Suigetsu and Naruto were just never going to get along. They had started off on the wrong foot and apparently, that's where they were going to stay. That was okay though.

As long as they didn't actually kill each other, Suki could deal with that. Suigetsu, Naruto, and Itachi were the most important men in her life. All for different reasons. She didn't want to lose any of them, even Itachi.

"Mmm well that's always a plus. I don't think that the world could handle more than one Naruto." She admits.

"Damn straight. God that would really be annoying!" Suigetsu confirms and Suki just rolls her eyes playfully in response.

Her feelings about Itachi were endlessly complicated. He had sacrificed so much to protect her and the rest of the world and in return, the man had been branded a villain. He had still killed their Clan though.

Could she ever really get over something like that? The young woman understood his reasons and might have even made the same choice herself, but Suki didn't know. Still she consoles herself with the fact that she didn't need to make that decision today. For the rest of today, she was just going to cuddle up to her lover and get some badly needed sleep.

"Of course. Do you really think that we could be happy here?" Suki whispers.

"Honestly, I don't really care that much where we go. As long as I'm with you and our super baby, I'm good. Though it's nice to come back. I didn't think that it would matter, but it's nice to know that our super baby will get to grow up in a village where at least part of their family has a history." He murmurs as he traces the curve of her hip.

Suigetsu was definitely a very physical being. Suki liked that though. It was a rare moment, when he wasn't trying to touch her in such fashion.

She'd become rather hedonistic about it. Addicted to his touch. She should have been irritated at that thought. That she had become so dependent on someone else, but she couldn't bring herself to be. She was happy for the first time in a long time and that was because of him.

"I'm glad to hear that. I can't imagine ever living in the Leaf again. Not knowing what I know now. If they did it once, they could do it again." Suki mutters.

"Suki, don't think about things like that. It's not good for you or the baby to get upset. You're safe here. Just relax and get some sleep. If you're too wound up, I can think of a few fun ways to take your mind off everything and tire you out." He says with a smirk.

Suki rolls her eyes. She should have expected that response. It was Suigetsu, after all.

"As much as I enjoy your methods of comforting me, we should probably hold off on that for a bit. I wouldn't put it past Mei to have some guards lurking around our doors and I'd rather not give them a show, even if it's just an audio version." She mumbles with a blush.

"Awe. That's cute. I didn't know you were that shy, Princess. You're right though. She might do exactly that. Sweet dreams." He tells her as he kisses her forehead.

"Sweet dreams." She agrees and with that, she closes her eyes as she slowly drifts off to sleep.

All her problems could wait. Right now, she was curled up next to her lover and felt perfectly content. It was hard not to feel completely safe, when she was wrapped up tightly in his arms.

Idly, she notes that was rather ironic. She felt completely safe in someone who was nicknamed a Prodigy in the Art of Murder, but it was the truth. That was the last thought on her mind as she fell asleep with a smile on her face.


	19. Who Helped You?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Suigetsu asks Suki a very important question.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's Note: Thanks for the reviews. I hope that you all enjoy this chapter.
> 
> Chapter Notation: The necklaces are probably not canon, but I do believe that the concept behind them is rather realistic for a world like that in the series.

One week later, Suki is walking around the Mist Village with Karin. The two women were doing some shopping for the baby and Suigetsu was off training with Jugo. That meant it was something of a Girls' Day Out.

It was certainly a new feeling for Suki. She had never really engaged in much bonding with other women. Sakura was just too different for her to have much of an interest in doing so while she was on Team Seven and after that, she had been too focused on killing Itachi and being Suigetsu to care about such things.

"So has the Morning Sickness stopped yet?" Karin asks.

"For the most part. It's strange. I think being here calms the baby. That or it could just be because I know the truth about Itachi now. He's no longer a threat to the baby and he or she might sense that." The Uchiha woman says thoughtfully.

All that was left really was for Naruto to inform Tsunade what was happening. If she approved the transfer, Suki was planning on sitting tight until after she gave birth and had a chance to heal from doing so. Beyond that point though, well the details were a bit more fuzzy.

"I think that you might be reading into it. The baby can't sense anything at this point. Not exactly. It may be responding to the decrease in your stress levels though." The red head offers.

"Maybe. You might want to get some vitamins and tea yourself." Suki says as they walk into one of the many shops lining the village's streets.

"What's that supposed to mean?!" Karin demanded and the Uchiha woman snorts in amusement.

Karin knew exactly what she meant. There really wasn't a reason to play dumb. So Suki wasn't going to beat around the bush.

"I know that you and Naruto have grown a lot closer. I'm not really sure how you explained Kunais and Pouches to him, but I recognize those marks on your neck. Like I said earlier, those are lovebites. Naruto's never really been the type to do anything halfway. If he's doing that to your neck, you're lovers." The former Leaf Ninja says as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

To Suki's delight, Karin's face turns almost as red as her hair. Ha! She couldn't help, but feel rather smug at flustering the other woman so much. God knows, the woman had it coming.

"You're right. He's not the type to go halfway. I think that I would know, if I was pregnant though. I mean I am basically a medic and I can sense chakra changes within my own body. If I was pregnant, my chakra would have altered." The other ninja reasons as she pushes her glasses up the bridge of her nose.

"It depends how far along you are. Don't say that I didn't warn you though." Suki retorts as she heads into the shop.

It was nice to be able browse various places without fear of someone trying to capture her. Not that anyone was actually going to be able to capture her anyway, but it was the principle of the thing. Though they were getting a lot of strange looks.

Suki couldn't blame them though. She and the rest of Taka were rather infamous at this point. It was likely that the villagers recognize them, but Mei had found a way to get around that by giving them each a long black leather necklace with the symbol for the Mist Village on the end of it.

"I'm not pregnant!" Karin yells at Suki.

The strange looks only got stranger upon hearing that remark. At the moment, Suki was suddenly glad that she wasn't showing much. Their reaction was making her feel more than a little self-conscious.

The Uchiha woman knew that she shouldn't care though. The necklaces would protect them. As long as they wore them, every Mist Villager would know that they were the personal guests of the Mizukage and thus wouldn't harass them.

_"I want you all to have one of these. It will make things much simpler." Mei said, only six days ago._

_Suki watched the older woman curiously as she handed every member of Taka, Kisame, Itachi, and Naruto a necklace. The necklace was beautiful in its simplicity, really._

_Each of them had a long black leather cord and the symbol of the Mist Village at the end of them. Suki wasn't entirely sure what they were for, but she did have at least one idea in mind. Mei was offering them protection._

_"They're really pretty and all, but what are they for?" Naruto asked as he traced the steel that had been carved into the shape of the Mist's Symbol._

_"Essentially, they will prevent any Mist Villagers from attacking you. That's the Mark of this Village. The Mizukage has the option of giving out necklaces to distinguished guests that they want to ensure are not harmed while they visit." Itacih explained._

_Suki watched as Mei gave a curt nod of confirmation. While Itachi was apparently free to wander around as he pleased, it was obvious that Mei wasn't feeling particularly forgiving at the moment. As far as the pregnant woman was concerned though, Mei still loved Itachi._

_If she didn't, she would have already had him executed. No one would have questioned the decision and the Leaf would probably thank her. After all, most of the Leaf was clueless about the truth behind the Massacre and thought Itachi was a cold-blooded killer._

_"That's accurate. So don't take the necklaces off." Mei finished._

_"Cool! Hey, Suki. I'm digging the way that necklace looks on you!" Suigetsu said happily as he wrapped his arms around her._

_Suki smiled and leaned into his embrace. It was where she felt most safe in his arms._

_She felt self enough that Suki had the courage to finish her earlier train of thought. Those that did know the truth, would be happy to have Itachi gone. To them, Itachi's death would ensure that all their dirty little secrets were never exposed to the light of day._

_"Mmm thanks." Suki said with a smile._

_"And I think you'd look really gorgeous, wearing that and nothing else." The violet eyed ninja whispered into her ear, causing Suki to blush._

_"You really are such a pervert." The raven haired woman grumbled._

_She really hoped that she wasn't blushing, but Suki knew that she probably was. Her face felt hot and the young ninja was getting a lot of funny looks from her companions. Oh yeah. She was blushing._

_"This is very kind of you. Thank you, Lady Mei." Jugo replied._

_Jugo really as her Shield. The man would shield her from anything. That apparently included even embarrassment._

_"You're welcome, Jugo." The Mizukage responded automatically._

_"Ah well it feels good to be home again and now, I even got a pretty little." Kisame observed with a fang-tastic smile._

_"Don't push it, Kisame." The Kage warned him and the Akatsuki Member wisely shut up._

_Suki smiled at the antics and ran her fingers along the cool metal. There was something comforting about the feeling. They were safe. They were really safe._

_"Thank you. You have no idea what this means to us." She whispered and Karin nodded in agreement._

"Whatever you say, Karin." Suki replies with a smirk.

* * *

Meanwhile Naruto was back in the Leaf Village. He was still in Tsunade's Office. Apparently, it was going to require a lot of paperwork to transfer Suki and Itachi to the Mist Village. Like mountains of it.

"Jugo, Karin, Kisame, and Suigetsu are out of my jurisdiction though. They're all Criminal Ninjas. If Mei wants to accept them, that's on her. She can handle their paperwork on their own." Tsunade says with a sigh.

Naruto knew that Granny Tsunade was still having a hard time processing all of this. It was hard for him to wrap his mind around as well. He couldn't believe that the Leaf would actually do something like that.

It really made him see his village in another light. He had considered asking Mei, if he could transfer to the Mist Village as well. The blonde just couldn't bring himself to do it though.

"Got it. What are you going to do about Itachi though? I know that you're granting him a transfer, but you aren't really making it public. Sooner or later, someone's going to notice that he's a Mist Ninja now." The sapphire eyed man points out.

"That's tricky. I'm not entirely certain. I'm granting him the transfer, just in case though. I don't want any legal fall out from this for Lady Mei. It's the Public Relations aspect that is going to be a nightmare." The busty Hokage mutters under her breath as she signs her name a few more times on some documents.

The Leaf was his home. It had done some horrible things, but Naruto wasn't going to leave. He was going to stick around and make sure that such things never happened again.

Hopefully, he could convince Karin to come with him. The only reason she was really sticking with Suki was because she didn't have anywhere else to go. That and Karin really hated Suigetsu. She might be willing to leave the Mist, just to get away from him.

"Yeah. I guess it's better safe than sorry." Naruto agrees.

He really did love the red head. When Naruto had started chasing after Suki, the blonde had never dreamed that he would find love along the way. He had though. Naruto had in a big way.

_"What does she see in him?" Naruto asked, one night while he and Karin were in the bath at an Inn._

_Taka traveled around a lot. There were days on end when they would sleep in the woods, of course. Though it was obvious that they preferred to stay at Inns and Hotels when given a choice._

_Not that he could blame them. It was just much more comfortable that way. He'd rather stay somewhere with a roof over his head than not as well!_

_"I don't know. It's weird. For whatever reason, I guess she's happy with him though. She's lucky. As much as he is a jerk, it's obvious that in his own demented way…Suigetsu cares for her." The young woman grumbled._

_"Yeah. I guess. He had better. He got her pregnant." The Leaf Ninja growled._

_"I'll never have what she has. I'll never have someone that loves me that much." Karin said with a sigh._

_"I'm pretty sure that you well. I mean you're very lovable! You're pretty. You're smart! You're brave and you have some really cool abilities! What's not to like?!" He asked with a grin._

_He didn't expect what happened next. Karin kissed him. She really kissed him! This wasn't like at the Academy with Suki. This kiss had been very much been on purpose and soon Naruto found himself kissing back._

Karin was a really good kisser. Well actually, she was good at a whole lot more than just kissing. It hadn't taken too long after that night for them to become lovers and until his mission to the Leaf, the two of them had been nearly inseparable ever since then.

"Do you think that you could get Karin a transfer to the Leaf, if she wanted to come here?" Naruto asks.

"Yes, Brat. I could manage that. Her ability to heal people and Sensory Skills are more than a good enough reason to overlook her past. So I guess you really do take after Minato. You like red heads, just like he did." Tsunade teases him.

"Maybe a little." Naruto admits with a blush.

* * *

Back in the Mist Village, Suigetsu was walking around with Mei. Why the woman wanted to speak with him, he wasn't sure. He wasn't going to argue though.

She had been nice enough to let them stay. The Mizukage definitely hadn't had to do that, especially considering everything that she was going through. That had to suck to find out that your lover head been lying to you.

"I know that it's your child that Suki is carrying. I suppose you could call me a hopeless romantic, but I'm also pragmatic. Until the paperwork is settled, Suki can't access her family's accounts, but there's no reason why you shouldn't be able to access your family's funds. You do have a baby on the way to take care of." Mei says as she hands him a key.

Suigetsu blinks. She was actually giving him the key to his family's vaults? He couldn't believe it.

"Wow. Thanks. Yeah! This will be great!" He says with a grin.

"As she's pregnant and obviously not rushing off into any life or death battles, I expect you'll be planning to propose to her soon." Itachi says as he makes his way over to them.

Damn. Itachi was scary as Hell. How did he just sneak up on people all silent serial killer style?! It was no wonder that he head been able to take out the entire Uchiha Clan on his own!

"Well yeah. I was going to do it anyway. Don't go and get all bossy on me!" He grumbles.

"That's wonderful news. I'm sure that you'll pick out a beautiful ring for her. Though I'm afraid that I have other matters to attend to." Mei says and with that, she heads off in a huff.

"I'll admit that I certainly deserve worse than the silent treatment, but it's painful nonetheless. In any case, come with me. I doubt you know that much about jewelry and the least I can do for my foolish little sister is ensure that she gets a suitable ring." Itachi states.

Suigetsu grumbles. He didn't really know that much about rings, but the guy didn't have to rub it in. He could totally understand why Suki wanted to kill him so much now.

"Alright. Alright. Let's go." He grumbles as the two of them head off towards a jewelry shop.

"I should think that a sapphire would be a good choice. It's blue like water and your Clan is strongly affiliated with it. That and it does work rather well on a symbolic level." Itachi muses as he glances at the display cases.

There had to be hundreds or even thousands of rings on display. The sword lover still didn't know much about jewelry, but he certainly recognized some of the more prominent stones. Rubies, sapphires, diamonds, emeralds, pearls, and dozens more that he couldn't identify.

The bands came gold, silver, steel, platinum, and other precious metals as well. Some of them had engravings on them and others didn't. Honestly, he felt more than a little overwhelmed at the choices.

"She wears a size seven ring." Itachi supplies helpfully.

How Itachi knew that was beyond him. Suigetsu decides it was probably best not to question it though. He had so many choices to choose from.

* * *

After an hour or two, Itachi seems to find something that had caught his eye. Curious, Suigetsu goes to look.

"Sapphire gem. It's shaped like a heart. That will appeal to her sense of romanticism. There's a diamond surrounding either side of it. You can say that represents you and your child or children. She'll likely want more than one child. The silver band is just aesthetically pleasing." Itachi informs him.

"Yeah! That all sounds good. I'll get it." Suigetsu says as he heads over to the clerk and tells him just to withdraw the payment from his family's vault.

"Y-yes, Sir!" The terrified civilian says as he rings up the purchase and hands Suigetsu the ring.

"Thank you. Well that was easier than I thought." We should probably head back though." Suigetsy says thoughtfully and with that, the two men make their way back to the Mizukage's Building with the ring in tow.

* * *

A few hours later, Suigetsu leads Suki to a river that ran on the outskirts of the village. It was a beautiful starry night with a Crescent Moon hanging high in the sky. There were also some fireflies buzzing about. In other words, it was the perfect romantic setting for a proposal.

Well at least it was in his mind. He hoped that Suki would think so too. Damn. He really wasn't good at this word stuff. Maybe, he should have just made love to her and then handed her the ring? Maybe, that would have been better.

"Maybe, that would have been the smart move." He mutters to himself.

"What would have been the smarter move?" Suki asks as she looks around curiously.

"Nothing. Well Princess, I hope that you like picnics. I brought us some food. I figured we could enjoy a picnic by the river." He says cheerfully.

Suki smiles and kisses his cheek. Suigetsu was trying to be a traditional romantic. That was new. Oh well. She'd humor him.

"I haven't been on one of those in years, but it is a beautiful night and there's no one that I would rather be on a picnic with than with you." She tells him with another smile.

"Great!" Suigetsu says as he lays out the blanket and the food for them.

Suki nods and she sits by him. The Uchiha woman quickly snuggles up against him. This was nice.

"Mhm." She agrees as she watches Suigetsu pour them each some water.

Water because she was pregnant. It likely would have been wine, if she wasn't. That was okay though. She didn't mind the water.

As the night wore on, Suki was quite content just to enjoy a good meal with her lover and to exchange a few not so innocent kisses with him. It was Suigetsu. It was just a law of nature that they wouldn't be able to complete keep their hands off each other.

"So you know that I'm not good with the whole word thing, right?" Suigetsu asks.

"Mhm. I know. That's fine. You have other ways of telling me that you love me that are better than mere words. Why, do you ask though?" Suki asks in confusion as she idly strokes his snowy white locks of hair.

She could see that Suigetsu was nervous about something. That wasn't like him. The sword lover rarely got nervous about anything. Actually, it would probably serve him well to learn to be at least a little bit more cautious.

He tended to shoot first and ask questions later. That was going to get him in trouble one of these days.

"Well because I want to ask you something and I really wanted to be smooth about it and everything, but that's just not me. You know that I love you though and I love our family. We've got a chance to really start over here and I would like to make things more official between us." He says as he hands her a small box.

Suki raises an eyebrow as she opens it. The raven haired woman wasn't sure what was in that box, but she knew that it was important somehow. Suigetsu wouldn't be acting like this, if it wasn't.

"More official how?" She asks as she opens the box and gasps.

"You'll see. If you want, I'll just take your last name. I don't really care about that stuff. It's obvious that our super baby takes after me in abilities anyway. So I don't really care what our last names are and I know how important th-" Suigetsu continues, only to be cut off by a kiss.

A rather heated kiss at that. Well that wasn't exactly the reaction he was expecting, but he wasn't going to argue. That was most likely a yes.

With that thought in mind, he happily kisses Suki back. God that felt good. He never knew that kissing could feel as good as it did, until he and Suki became a thing.

"So should I take that as a yes?" He asks slyly, after breaking the kiss.

"Suigetsu, I'm carrying your child. What did you think my answer was going to be? That and I love you and our super baby more than anything." She tells him.

"Good. Cause we are going to throw one Hell of a party." The violet eyed ninja promises her as he kisses her forehead and caresses her cheek.

He had never actually been to a wedding before, but he knew that Mei was obsessed with them. The Mizukage would probably help him because she was as romantic at heart. That and maybe, it'd help her forgive Itachi.

After all, seeing someone get married was a beautiful thing. It might soften her up towards him. Itachi had helped him pick out a pretty awesome ring. Suigetsu supposed that he should help the jerk out.

"Mmm. I'm sure that it will. When I get a little further along, do you want to find out the gender of the baby or be surprised?" Suki asks.

"I'd like to know. I'm pretty curious. What about you? If you want to be surprised though, I'm good with waiting. I mean you are the one who is carrying our super baby. It's only fair." Suigetsu inquires.

Suki pauses as she considers that question. Did it really matter, if they knew a few months ahead of time or not? Well supposed it did to a degree. They'd know whether to shop for boy or girl clothes.

That wasn't a big concern. Once the transfers went through, she'd have access to her family's assets. That meant she could buy as many clothes and whatever else she wanted as she pleased.

"I'd be lying, if I said that I wasn't curious. I'd like to know." She says with a smile as she glances at the beautiful ring.

It was stunning to put it mildly. There was a large heart-shaped sapphire in the center. The gorgeous gem was surrounded by two beautiful round diamonds and the band itself was made out of silver. The silver shimmered underneath the pale moonlight of the starry night sky.

"Alright. We'll find out then. The sapphire is supposed to symbolize my water connection and my giving my heart to you. The diamonds are me and our super baby or babies. The silver band is just because it looks cool." He says brightly.

"Mmm it's beautiful and that's very poetic. That's how I know that you didn't make that up on your own. Who helped you?" She asks as she kisses him.

She smiles as she feels him kiss back. It didn't matter that Suigetsu had probably had help coming up with that explanation. What mattered is that she knew he meant the words that he had just uttered.

"Mmm. Alright. I had some help, but that doesn't meant that I didn't mean what I just said." Suigetsu whispers, after returning her kiss.

"I know that you meant it. I'm still curious who has been helping you seduce me? I damn sure know that it wasn't Naruto. He could never come up with something like that." Suki teases him.

Suigetsu pauses and that's when the Uchiha woman knew what had happened. For some reason or another, her brother had helped him. Probably out of some sense of guilt.

"It was Itachi." Suigetsu confesses, knowing that would likely ruin the mood.

"I figured as much. It doesn't matter though. What matters is that we're engaged and we're going to have a family." The raven haired woman promises him.

"Good. Yeah. You're right. That's all that matters. That and I should probably get you back to our bedroom. Daddy should make sure that Mommy gets plenty of rest." He grins.

Suki rolls her eyes playfully. She doubted that they would be getting much rest, but she'd indulge him. If Suigetsu wanted to pretend that he was being a responsible adult, let him.

"Yes, I think so as well. I'm so fortunate to have you to look after me, Dr. Hōzuki." She smirks.

"So you wanna Play Doctor, huh?" Suigetsu asks with a smirk as he scoops her up into his arms and carries her off.

"Mmm maybe. It could be fun." Suki says with a smirk of her own.


	20. A New Level

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Suki's and Suigetsu's relationship reaches a new level.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's Note: Thanks for the reviews. I hope that you all enjoy the Wedding Chapter.

_Five weeks._ Five weeks was how long it had taken to organize their wedding. Suki knew that they could have done it sooner, but Suigetsu was just bound and determined to ensure that that they had an "awesome wedding."

The Uchiha woman didn't really particularly care about the details of their wedding. What made the wedding special was who she was marrying. Not the music, food, guest list, or even her kimono. (Though to be fair, she was rather fond of her wedding kimono).

"Naruto is very angry with me. He believes that he should be the Best Man." Itachi says as he prepares to walk Suki down the aisle.

"I considered it. God knows that he's earned it, but you're family. You've suffered so much. The least that I can do is let you walk me down the aisle. That and you did help Suigetsu pick out a beautiful ring for me." Suki reasons.

They were getting married in the Shopping District. Mei was rather glad to shut it down for the day and turn the Shopping District into the Wedding District for a few hours. Honestly, Suki wasn't sure who was more excited about the wedding. Her or the Mizukage.

"He told you that I helped him, huh?" Itachi asks with a snort of amusement as they watch a flower girl fly on Garuda's back and toss beautiful Sakura blossoms down at the guests.

Suki had wanted to include her Summons in the wedding. For a long time, they were the closest things she had to friends in the Sound Village. That and as Suigetsu would say, Aoda and Garuda were "badass." So she had included them in the wedding.

Aoda would be the ring bearer and Garuda would help the flower girl. Naruto's toads were "guarding" the cakes to ensure that no one tried to steal it before it was time to eat. Though Suki was damn sure that the toads were gobbling some of the cakes when no one was looking.

"Mmm yes. He mentioned it during his proposal. His explanation for the ring was just a little too smooth to be his doing." Suki informs Itachi as they continue their trek towards the alter.

It was a beautiful day in the Mist Village and the decorations for the wedding were glorious. Every step that Suki took, she made on a crimson red carpet that she supposed was supposed symbolize the Sharingan. There were banners symbolizing the Mist Village, the Water Nation, Suigetsu's Clan, and the Uchiha Clan everywhere.

Everyone was dressed in their finest and there were flowers and colorful lanterns lighting up the night sky almost as brightly as the stares there were shining down on them. A beautiful full Moon could be seen peeking behind one of the rocky cliffs that the Mist Village was so well known for.

"That's a good point. I suppose that he's always been more of a physical being than an academic. I should have compensated for that." Itachi says with a smirk.

"He's not dumb. He just prefers action to talking." Suki protests.

"Clearly. He made that much very obvious when he got you pregnant. Though I must say that you do make a beautiful Bride and it's a good thing that you managed to arrange the wedding before you started showing too much." Her elder brother teases her.

_About a week before her wedding, Suki looked in the mirror and frowned. She had unbuttoned her shirt enough to examine her stomach and the results were interesting to say the least. She couldn't help, but feel fat._

_Well maybe fat was stretching it a bit. Instead of the well defined muscles that were usually on her stomach, she felt only soft skin. Soft that was a bit rounder than normal. She was starting to show._

_"Don't worry about it. You're still the most beautiful woman on the planet and that just happens when you get pregnant. The wedding's in a week. So you'll easily be able to fit into your kimono, if that's what you're worried about." Suigetsu said as he snuck up behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist._

_"Mmm, hopefully. It would be a shame, if it didn't fit. I really like my kimono." She whispered as she leaned back into his embrace._

_It was the strangest thing. She felt safest in the arms of a killer. Then again, Suki supposed that being normal was vastly overrated, anyway._

_"Yeah. I know that I love your kimono too. That would kinda suck." He agreed._

_"Suigetsu! You had better not have peeked at my kimono! That's bad luck! The Groom isn't supposed to see the dress until the wedding!" The raven haired woman scolded him._

_Suigetsu just chuckled and kissed her cheek in response. Suki fumed. He apparently wasn't taking the wedding traditions seriously. She was going to have to knock some sense into him._

_"I haven't seen it yet, but I know you. You'd look beautiful in anything. That and I know that I'm definitely going to enjoy taking it off of you. So really, I love it even more than you do." He reasoned._

_"Your daddy is such a pervert." Suki whispered to her growing belly._

_"Damn straight he is. That's because Mommy is gorgeous." Suigetsu told his future son or daughter without any sense of shame._

_Suki rolled her eyes playfully in response. That was just who Suigetsu was. There was never a dull moment with him._

_Though he might tell her that he loved her in rather eccentric ways, the female Uchiha had no doubts that he meant it. The fact that he seemed to crave her touch as much as she did his, well that was just a very nice bonus._

"You're such a jerk sometimes." Suki growls at her brother.

At the very least, her kimono was beautiful. It was as silvery blue color that was meant to symbolize the Mist Village. The fabric was made of the finest silk and tastefully flowed with her every step. The sash was snowy white and she had the Uchiha Symbol sewn onto her back.

"That's what big brothers are for. They are supposed to annoy their younger siblings. In all seriousness, I'm happy that you have found love and look forward to meeting my niece or nephew." Itachi whispers as they finally arrive at the silver alter.

The silver alter that had dozens of roses woven into it. Roses in almost every color imaginable. Red, white, lavender, orange, yellow, and even blue. It was very Suigetsu.

Unpredictable, wild, and beautiful. That floral arrangement and alter was so much like her lover that it made her smile. He wasn't kidding when he said that their wedding would be grand.

"I'm happy for me too." Suki smiles at her brother.

Suigetsu was standing there with Kisame, Jugo, and Naruto at his side. Karin, Mei, and another Mist Ninja were her bridesmaids.

He didn't know who the third woman was really. Just that her name was Amira and she was a Jonin in the Mist Village. Mei had been nice enough to get her another bridesmaid to even the numbers out and Suki couldn't lie. She appreciated the gesture.

"There you are. I was worried you were going to stand me up." Suigetsu teases her with a smirk.

"No, you weren't." Suki says as Suigetsu takes her hands and she admires him in his male wedding kimono.

His kimono was silvery blue like hers and also had the Uchiha Symbol on the back. Suigetsu didn't seem to care too much about his last name and had consented to take hers in the marriage. It was a sweet gesture on his part.

She liked the way the silvery blue of his kimono brought out his snowy white hair and violet eyes. It was very majestic and regal. Two words that she hadn't really associated with her lover before, but they were certainly accurate today.

"Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today to celebrate the union of Suki Uchiha and Suigetsu Hozuki. If there is anyone here who has any reason why these two should not be wed, speak now or forever hold your peace." Mei says.

Mei was the Mizukage and thus was chosen to officiate. Suki smiles as she glances around the beautiful night. It looked like Aoda and Garuda were going to have something to say about it, if anyone was dumb enough to object. Of course, those two would be the least of any objector's concerns.

Suigetsu was known as a Prodigy in the Art of Murder for good reason. Suki really didn't fancy the chances of anyone who objected, surviving the night. Though that was just her personal opinion, of course. She could be wrong, but Uchiha woman doubted that she was.

"Wonderful. As there are no objections, we may proceed. Do you Suigetsu take Suki to be your lawfully wedded wife? To love, honor, and cherish for all your days? To stand by her side in sickness and in health? In good times and in bad? And to forsake all others, until death do you part?" The romantic Kage inquires.

Suki smiles at Suigetsu as he holds her hand. She was dimly aware of ancient classical music playing in the background. It was equal parts soothing and exciting. She suspected that it may have been the music that Mist Villagers used to prepare themselves for battle in the old days, but Suki digressed.

There were few things that were going to distract her from the feeling of Suigetsu's hand on her own. The warmth of his very fang-tastic smile and the love shining in those gorgeous violet orbs of his for long.

"I do." Suigetsu says with a grin.

"Excellent. Suki do you take Suigetsu to be your lawfully wedded husband? To love, honor, and cherish for all of your days? To stand by his side in sickness and in health? In good times and in bad? And to forsake all others until death do you part?" The Mizukage smiles..

She really didn't know how she had gone from rescuing him from a tank to marry him and carrying his child, but Suki was glad that she did. She couldn't imagine standing next to an alter and marrying anyone else. So this was what it meant to be truly happy and in love.

"I do." She says with a smile of her own.

"Then by the power vested in me by the Mist Village and the Water Nation, I pronounce thee man and wife. You may kiss the Bride." Mei decrees.

Suigetsu didn't need to be told twice. He pulls Suki into his arms and kisses her. He really kisses her.

He figured that it was probably best to make it damn clear that she was **_his_** Suki and no one else's. That and the sword lover just liked kissing his new wife. He liked it a lot actually.

"And now we know how she got pregnant." Itachi mutters under his breath in irritation as Kisame pat pats his shoulder.

"Awe come on. Don't go into overprotective brother mode. Look how happy they are together. It's cute." The other Akatsuki Member says.

Suigetsu smirks when he hears that and subtlety flips Itachi off. Like Hell was he going to stop kissing his Suki because it made Itachi squeamish. Screw that.

He was soon distracted from his victory dance of sorts by the feeling of the dark beauty's lips on his own. Suki had to be the best kisser on the planet. Suigetsu was convinced of this.

"You're amazing." He whispers between kisses.

She truly was. The snowy haired ninja doubted that anyone else could do the things that she did with her soft lips and that wicked tongue of hers. Damn did he love her tongue.

Well actually, he loved every part of her body. Clan Restoration was definitely going to be fun. He suspected that she'd probably want several super babies. Which was just fine with him. Like he told Suki earlier, he really enjoyed making them.

"So are you." She says as with a smile as she caresses his cheek.

"Hey, guys! You still have to throw the bouquet and flowers!" Naruto points out happily.

That's when Suki leans over and whispers something into Suigetsu's ear. He smirks as soon as he heard it. Who knew that his lover could be so devious?! This was going to be fun!

"You got it, Princess!" Suigetsu promises her as he has his wife sit down and slowly slides the garter belt off of her.

Damn. He loved her legs. Those were some long and shapely legs. He loved them even more when they were wrapped around him though.

"Gotta say that I'm digging the lace on you. You should wear it more often." Suigetsu instructs her with a cocky smirk as he tosses the lacey white fabric into the crowd.

His aim struck true. The garter belt lands smack in the middle of Itachi's face. There really was no way for him to avoid it.

"You did that on purpose." The elder Uchiha growls in annoyance.

"What? I just randomly tossed it into the crowd and you happened to catch it. Must be fate. It looks like you're the next man who is going to tie the knot!" Suigetsu informs him with glee.

Oh the look on his face was priceless. Absolutely priceless. Itachi really looked like he wanted to kill Suigetsu. Though they both knew that he wouldn't actually do it.

He was the father of Itachi's niece or nephew. There was no way that he'd actually go through with it. That meant that Suigetsu had free reign to mess with him, any way that he wanted!

"I love you." Suki whispers into his ear as she tosses her bouquet of roses into the crowd.

Suigetsu knew what she was doing. She was deliberately aiming it at Mei. There was no way for the other woman to avoid it, despite the fact that she was obviously trying to do so.

"Suki!" Mei grumbles at her, apparently not caring for the fact that she had been set up.

To her credit, his wife was a damn good actress when she wanted to be. It didn't matter that Suki had clearly planned the whole thing out. The Uchiha woman still managed to look completely innocent somehow. It was impressive, really.

"Mmm sorry. It was an accident." She lies as she heads over to one of the cakes with Suigetsu.

It was a massive cake. There were a lot of them scattered around what seemed like dozens of tables that were piled high with all sorts of foods and drinks. Suki had just found the biggest cake for them to cut.

Not that Suigetsu minded. They were only getting married once. So they might as well have a little fun and be dramatic. With that in mind, he took out his sword and sliced the massive six foot tall cake into hundreds of tiny pieces.

"Mmm you have to love a man who knows how to use his sword." Suki observes with a smirk.

God, he loved that woman! She was getting to be just as bad as he was and he freaking loved it. Oh yeah. Clan Restoration was going to be fun.

"Yeah. So you want some cake, Princess?" He asks smugly.

"Mmm sure." Suki says as Suigetsu hands her a slice.

Everyone seemed to take that cue to either start dancing or to grab some food (or drinks). Suigetus had to admit that there was something pretty hypnotic about the music. Idly, he wondered if Suki could dance (and if she would, if she could).

"You wanna dance? It's kinda tradition." Suigetsu points out, after Suki had eaten her slice of cake.

"Mmm I'd love to. I didn't know that you could dance though." The raven haired woman muses as she follows her husband to the dance floor.

Well dance floor was probably stretching it a bit. After all, they were outside. Though Suigetsu doubted that really mattered that much. It was the principle of the thing, really.

"I'm just full of surprises." Suigetsu tells her as he wraps his arms around her waist.

"Mhm. Yes, you are." Suki agrees and with that, she rests her head on his shoulder as the two of them dance.

This was nice. Suki liked dancing with Suigetsu. The feeling of his arms around her waist and being close to him with everyone watching. Now, the entire village would know that he was her husband.

A new level had been reached in their relationship. One where everyone could tell just by looking at the rings on their hands that they had completely given their hearts to someone else. One that meant Suigetsu was now part of the Uchiha Clan and that they were an official family in every sense of the word.

"So Princess did you wanna go anywhere special on our Honeymoon?" Suigetsu asks.

"Not really. I doubt you're going to let me leave the bed much anyway and I like it here. I didn't really have anyplace in mind. If you want to go somewhere though, I'd go." Suki tells him as she kisses his cheek.

In truth, she hadn't really thought about it. Suki had just been so happy to be getting married and about the baby, the Honeymoon hadn't entered her mind much.

Most likely because Suigetsu was a very attentive lover. So she didn't have to wait for their official Honeymoon. They had their Honeymoon everyday.

"Nah. I think the Mist is as good a place as any. It's my birth village and Mei has been really kind to us. Though I expect she's probably going to want to kill you about the Itachi thing." Suigetsu says as he twirls his wife around.

"Mmm. She probably will, but it's for her own good. I see the way that she looks at him and the way my brother stares at her. It's the way that we look at each other. The love is there. She just has to get over her anger at him. It's justifiable anger, but still." Suki says with a sigh.

"Don't worry about it. If anyone can help those two patch things up, it's you. After all, you turned a Prodigy in the Art of Murder into your husband. You can do anything." Sugietsu says with a smirk and Suki just smiles in response.

* * *

At that same moment, Itachi braces himself. He knew what his foolish little sister had done, but that didn't mean that he wouldn't take advantage the situation. He certainly didn't deserve Mei's love, but he had to try.

"Would you do me the honor of this dance?" The elder Uchiha Sibling asks the beautiful Kage.

"I think that we both know that you don't deserve the honor of a dance or anything else. You lied to me. You lived to me about everything." She whispers as he takes her hand.

"Yes, I did lie to you. I never expected to actually live this long. I didn't lie to you about everything though. I do care for you. I care for you more than I thought that I would ever be able to care for someone else again. Well someone else besides Suki." Itachi murmurs as he glances at his beloved with sad eyes.

Mei would never have fallen for him, if she had known who he really was. Itachi was aware of that and knew that it was unfair to expect her to forgive him. Despite that though, he felt at the very least that he should at least try to apologize to her.

"And how am I supposed to believe anything you say? I've lied to me about everything else. Why should I believe that your feelings are genuine?" She demands.

"You know that my feelings for you are sincere. I know that you felt it in my kiss and if you really despised me as much as you are pretending to, you could have easily had me executed. Everyone would have applauded you for it. As far as most of the world is concerned, I'm the man who butchered his own Clan and enjoyed doing so. No one would have argued against my death, yet I'm still breathing and I believe that we both know why that is." He retorts.

She had every right to be angry with him. The fact that he was still alive spoke volumes. The Mizukage didn't want to admit it, but she was still in love with him.

"I'll dance with you, if only to avoid a scene. I can hardly refuse to dance with the brother of the Bride without arousing suspicion." She grumbles as she takes his hand and allows him to lead her to the dance floor.

Mei sighs a moment later as she places her arms around his neck. It didn't matter which form he used. Itachi was an attractive man. There was no getting around that.

The fact that he was looking at her with such sorrowful and apologetic eyes, didn't make it easy to stay angry with him. She had to though. She had once been fooled by his charms, but Mei wouldn't allow that to happen again.

"You always were a divine dancer." Itachi murmurs into her ear with a wistful smile.

At least not until she knew for sure, who she was falling for? Mei knew that he had lied about his real identity, but what else had he lied about? There were little things such as his favorite food and color. Had those been lies as well? What about the larger things like his desire to reconcile with his sister? Were those also lies?

She didn't know and that fact terrified her. The Mizukage was in love with a man that she knew absolutely nothing about. That was beyond foolish.

"Thank you, but flattery is not going to earn you my forgiveness." She mutters as she looks around.

People were staring at them, but her eyes were drawn to Suki and Suigetsu. The newlyweds were clearly very much in love and she could hear bits and pieces of their conversation. The two of them were discussing their Honeymoon Plans.

As she glances back at Itachi, Mei couldn't suppress the feeling of envy that was growing inside her. Suigetsu might have been a former S Class Criminal, but he was an open book. She doubted the white haired man had ever managed to keep a secret in his life. Itachi was a completely different story though.

"Owe!" Mei hears someone grunt out in pain as she turns around looking for the source of that sound.

Ah. It was Karin and Naruto. They were another happy couple. Though they appeared to be a less graceful couple than Suigetsu and Suki, she muses to herself.

All these happy couples were making her heart ache. She and Dai had once been happy. Well something very close to happy, anyway. Other than his illness and desire to track Suki, everything had been perfect.

"Sorry! I'm just not very good at the whole dancing thing!" Naruto says apologetically.

"It's okay. You're good at the more important kind of dancing." Karin says with a sigh and a smile as she takes the lead.

That's when she sees Suki and Suigetsu trying to sneak off. Predictably, Kisame pats Suigetsu on his back and says something to the newlyweds. This should be interesting.

"So you two have fun. Oh and if you get the chance, the Cloning Jutsu can be a lot of fun." He says with a wink.

"You're such a pervert. We don't need tips to improve our love life." Suki scoffs.

"Clones could be fun, but she's right. Thanks for everything, Kisame. Your advice was really helpful and definitely taking the clone thing into consideration." Suigetsu winks as he leads his huffing wife off.

Mei chuckles at the scene. Well Kisame was Kisame. That was to be expected really.

"Kisame can be rather outrageous sometimes, but every now and then he does bring up a good point. Clones really can be fun." Itachi says.

"You are far from having your Chamber Privileges restored, let alone any Jutsu Privileges." She warns him.

"That implies you are going to give me a chance to earn them back." Itachi says with a smile.

Mei sighs as she looks around. She needed a moment to compose herself. She was letting herself fall for him again and she needed to look before she leapt this time.

Surprisingly, Jugo seemed to be having a grand time. His larger frame was considered exotic by the village girls and he was getting lots of dance offers. Well good for the gentle giant, she supposed.

"You might have the chance to possibly earn them back." She mutters.

"Good. That's more than I deserve, but I do promise that you won't regret it." He whispers to her as he leans down and captures her lips with his.


	21. Over the Moon

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Everyone is excited to welcome Suigetsu's and Suki's firstborn child into the world.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's Note: Thanks for the reviews. I hope that you all enjoy this chapter.
> 
> Chapter Notation: It's time to meet the Super Baby. I have put warnings up before and after the Delivery Scene. I kept it as tame as possible. If you are particularly squeamish though, you can skip that scene and the plot will not be altered in any way.

Several months later, Suki frowns as she looks at herself in the mirror. She hated to admit this, but Suigetsu was right about the Pufferfish thing. Though there was a good reason for that.

"Mmm I told you not to worry about it. You're still the sexiest Pufferfish on the planet." Suigetsu assures her as he kisses her cheek.

"I better be. It feels awkward to even walk." She grumbles as she snuggles back against him.

She was nine months pregnant and for the most part, it wasn't so bad. Not really. It just felt really awkward to look at herself in the mirror, walk, and some other minor irritations.

Mostly, Suki was happy just to snuggle up Suigetsu and wait for the baby to kick. The young woman liked it when her daughter kicked. It let her know that her future daughter was okay. If she was strong enough to kick, she must be healthy. Right?

They had found out a couple months ago. They were having a girl. Suigetsu was over the Moon. Though Suki suspected that he would have reacted that way, if it had been a boy as well.

_"So Suki, you're going to find out today. You're going to find, if it's a boy or a girl?" Kisame asked with a grin._

_A really toothy grin. Kisame's teeth were even sharper than Suigetsu's and that was certainly saying something. Suigetsu's teeth were nothing to sneeze at._

_"Yeah. We're going to find out if it's a Girl Super Baby or a Boy Super Baby!" Suigetsu said proudly._

_"Great. So Itachi and I have a bet. I'm betting that it's a boy. Itachi thinks it's going to be a girl." The former Akatsuki Member said._

_Suki rolled her eyes. She couldn't believe that her brother would engage in such childishness. He was actually betting on her baby's gender!_

_"Remind me to kick my brother's ass later. That's if Mei ever lets him out of her chambers long enough for me to do it." Suki grumbled._

_The bouquet and the garter belt had done the trick. Well more specifically, it had helped them to begin patching things up. Now things were very much patched up._

_It was a bit disturbing, really. Suki was not used to seeing her brother that way. Him having Mei as his lover, humanized Itachi in a way that she couldn't properly articulate. It was just strange._

_"You got it, Princess." Kisame told her._

_"Hey! I'm the only one allowed to call her that." Suigetsu growled._

_"Damn. You're a possessive little bastard. Alright. Alright. I'm gonna go send a scroll out to Naruto and Karin. Let them know that you're finding out the gender today. I'm sure that they'll want to know." The blue skinned man said._

_Suki nodded in approval. Naruto had gone back to the Leaf and Karin had gone with him. The two of them were engaged and while Karin wasn't as far along as Suki, she was also expecting._

_God help them all. Naruto was going to be a father. Suki could only hope that it would be a girl. She really didn't think that the world was ready for two Narutos._

_"Sounds good. Shall we get going, Princess?" Suigetsu asked as he offered her his arm._

_"Mhm." Suki said as they entered the room._

_Perhaps not surprisingly, Jugo was there. Jugo was very dedicated when it came to being her Shield. Apparently, that even included attending her doctor visits._

_Suigetsu had finally gotten used to it. Mercifully, her husband had realized that Jugo's intentions were honorable in nature. As far as Suki could tell, the large man didn't really have any desire for a relationship with anyone. He might actually be too innocent for such things._

_"Alright. I'm warning you that this is going to be cold." The medic said._

_The medic was a woman in her forties named Kara. Kara had long straight brown hair that reached to her waist and matching chocolate brown eyes. Her skin was a caramel color and she smiled easily._

_Suki liked her. She liked that she had a normal medic. A medic who was actually calm and knew her stuff. Frankly, it was a relief._

_"Noted, but I'm a ninja. I think that I can handle a little cold." Suki replied with a smile._

_"Mmm that's what they all say and they're all wrong." Kara teased her as she helped Suki onto the exam table and placed the gel on her stomach._

_Suki shrieked! She had never felt anything that cold before and she had actually been to the Snow Country! What was in that stuff?!_

_"T-That's freezing!" Suki hissed at the medic._

_"Mmm. I did try to warn you. Now, let's see what you're having." Kara said as she looked at the screen._

_Suki smiled and nodded as she glanced Suigetsu. He was looking at the screen in awe. This was the first time that she had actually seen their Super Baby as Suigetsu called their child._

_"Well she did warn you, Princess." Suigetsu reminded Suki as he kissed her forehead._

_"Mhm. She did. I guess I should have listened." The Uchiha woman grumbled._

_Kara looked at the screen for a few minutes and kept making adjustments. Apparently, their child was unexpectedly shy. That or their child was playing Hide and Seek._

_"Congratulations! You're having a girl!" Kara informed them._

"Don't worry. Our Super Baby will be here before you know it." Suigetsu tells her smugly.

"Mhm. I guess so. You went a little overboard on all the baby stuff. We're only having one at the moment. Not a hundred and that is way too much pink and glitter." Suki says as she makes a face.

Suigetsu laughs in response. Suki supposed she should have seen that coming, but honestly was it really necessary to have the entire nursery packed with every single pink thing that a baby could ever need?

"Oh come on. It's a girl. You're supposed to get pink stuff for girls!" The violet eyed ninja retorts.

"You are horribly stereotypical." Suki says as she rolls her eyes.

"And I got Mommy something pink for when she's feeling better too!" He says brightly as he presents Suki with a rather tiny pink lingerie set.

Suki raises an eyebrow. She knew that he didn't seriously think that she was going to wear that! He was out of his mind!

"I'm not wearing that!" She half hisses at him.

"Well you won't be wearing it for that long. Besides, I think you'd look really cute in it." He says smugly.

She loved Suigetsu. Suki loved him with all his heart. There were times though, when the Uchiha woman swore that he loved being smacked around. Their Honeymoon was a good example.

_"Suigetsu, put me down!" Suki squirmed in his arms._

_"What? No! This is tradition, Princess! I'm supposed to carry you over the threshold!" He protested._

_Suki knew that, but did he honestly have to carry her with the whole hotel staff? That was just embarrassing. She was so going to smack him around like a Piñata for that!_

_"Well yeah! In private!" Suki growled at him._

_"You're really hot, when you growl." He said cheekily as he carried her into the Honeymoon Suite._

_"And you're in big trouble!" Suki growled at him as her lover set her on the bed._

_Suigetsu just laughed and kissed her. Suki returned the kiss and pulled him down onto the bed. From there, it hadn't taken her long to pin him._

_She might been pregnant, but she was still a ninja. A ninja who was damn good at Taijutsu and had the advantage of having a husband who wouldn't fight back. Suigetsu wouldn't dare risk it, when she was expecting._

_"I'm trembling, Princess. Truly." The sword lover said with a laugh._

_"That's right. You should be." Suki informed him as she slapped a pair of chakra cuffs on him._

_She smirked at his reaction. This was going to be fun. She wasn't entirely sure if Suigetsu could have gotten out of those cuffs in normal circumstances, but she knew he wouldn't now._

That had been a fantastic two weeks. Chakra cuffs were a lot of fun. She really should employ them more often.

"You're such an idiot sometimes. I clearly didn't fall in love with you for your brains." She mutters.

"Ouch. That hurt, Princess. That really hurt. So what are we going to do about the Leaf? We have a Super Baby on the way. So I can't really let you go off and destroy a village. Not to mention that Naruto and Karin live there now." He says thoughtfully.

Suigetsu pauses as if thinking about that last part and Suki rolls her eyes. Karin and Naruto were still far from her husband's favorite people. The three of them bickered like cats and dogs, but she doubted that he would actually try to kill them. (Well at least not anymore).

"Actually you know, maybe it wouldn't be so bad. I mean if you just smacked the Leaf Village around a bit. After you have the baby and you've recovered first. The Banshee and her Lapdog kinda have it coming." He says with a grin.

"I know that you don't mean that. Don't worry though. I have something planned. You see, I've been talking to Itachi more and I've finally got the full story. I know who was behind it now and I'm going to make sure that they can't hurt our family again. There are other ways to make a village pay that don't involve violence. Well at least not as much." She says with a smirk.

Suigetsu shakes his head and wraps his arms around her protectively. It was kinda hot when she got all homicidal, but he couldn't lie. He was a little worried.

"Alright. Well what are you planning? Whatever it is, I can handle it. I completely get not wanting them to get off that easily. They do deserve some kind of punishment, but I don't want you to do anything that's going to put your pretty ass or our baby at risk." He tells her.

That was the truth. He couldn't imagine life without his little Sharingan Princess. His Sharingan Princess who definitely knew how to use Chakra Cuffs. It was just too depressing to think about.

That and they had the Super Baby to consider. Their daughter needed both of them. So that meant that Suki had to cool her homicidal tendencies. (Not matter how hot, those impulses might be)!

"Mmm I'll tell you later. My contractions just started. We have to get to the hospital." Suki informs him.

Suigetsu blinks. Wait. What?! Her contractions had started?! The Super Baby was coming?!

"Right! Don't worry! We'll get you to the hospital. It's all going to be okay. Don't panic!" Suigetsu says as he Flickers them off.

He gets her to the hospital in record time and to the delivery room. Sugietsu had always liked Kara, but he had never been so happy to see a medic in his life. Despite the fact that he was absolutely panicking, Suki seemed oddly calm. Almost serene even.

"First time fathers are always the ones who panic most. Don't worry, Suigetsu. I'll take good care of her." Kara says with a quiet laugh as she helps Suki on to the bed.

* * *

**Warning Delivery Scene**

What seemed like an eternity later, Suigetsu was damn grateful that he could turn into water. That serenity hadn't lasted very long, once the contractions started to come in faster and stronger. That serenity had flown right out the window and several objects had been thrown at him.

"Whoa! Easy! Easy, Princess! I know it hurts, but that's normal! No need to hurl a box of tissues at me! Seriously, tissues?!" He asks in disbelief.

"Mmm and that's normal for first time mothers. I'd just stay out of range for now. Childbirth is never a fun process, but the results are more than worth it." Kara says with a kind smile.

"That's easy for you to say! You two aren't the ones in labor!" Suki snarls.

He really didn't like to see her in this much pain. Suki had to be in serious agony to be acting like this and the woman had a high pain tolerance. Suigetsu had seen her fight. He knew damn well that his wife could take a hit.

That meant that childbirth was even worse than he had been told. Sugietsu could only watch his wife warily as he tried to offer moral support. It was the thought that counted.

"I know! Just keep pushing, Princess. You're doing great." He says encouragingly.

Suki just screamed in pain in response as another contraction hit. This one was particularly brutal and that's when Suigetsu saw it. A flash of white.

"I can see the head! Just a few more pushes!" Kara reassures her.

Suigetsu winces as Suki does as she was asked. He didn't know that his wife could make those sounds. He preferred the sexy sounds she could make. Not the scary sounds that made even him flinch.

He wasn't supposed to flinch! He was a ninja and a badass ninja at that. The sounds of Suki crying out like that though, they made him flinch.

"WAHHHHH!" A loud cry is a heard a few minutes later.

"You did it. Now, just a few more pushes to make sure that your all nice and clean. Nurse Hitmara will help you. I'm going to check to make sure that your daughter is healthy and take her measurements." Kara says kindly.

**End of Delivery Scene**

"She's okay, r-right?" Suki pants out as her head falls back against the pillow.

Kara pauses for a moment as Hitmara changes the bedding and helps Suki. Suigetsu bites his lower lip anxiously. He knew logically that the medic was just being thorough, but those were the longest two or three minutes of his life.

"Yes, she's just fine. You have a perfectly healthy baby girl. Do you want to hold her?" Kara asks with a smile.

"Yes, please." Suki says as she reaches for the bundle squirming baby that Kara held in her hands.

Suigetsu lets out the breath that he hadn't realized he was holding. Their daughter was okay and so was Suki. Well Suki was exhausted, but she was okay.

"Of course, remember to support the back of her neck." The medic reminds the young mother as she gently sets the baby in Suki's arms.

"It's okay. You can come look. I'm too exhausted to hit you right now." Suki teases him as she smiles down at the bundle in her arms.

Suigetsu smiles and looks down. Well now he understood why he had seen white. Their daughter had his hair. White as snow. She also had his violet eyes. Everything else though looked like pure Suki.

It was striking, really. Her skin was the same ivory pale color as her mother's. That and their daughter had Suki's face. Her eye shape, nose, smile, and even her cheeks. Though he notes with some amusement that she also had his ears.

"She's beautiful. Just like her mother." He says with a smile as he kisses the top of Suki's head.

"Mmm. She had better be. After what I went through to bring her into this world, I'd be rather cross…if she wasn't." Suki says with a laugh as she smiles down at her.

"She's going to need a name though. What should we call her?" The proud father asks.

He had a name picked out, if it was a boy. They were having a girl though. So he was a little less sure about what they should call the adorable baby who was currently cuddling up to Suki.

"Umiko. It means child of the sea. Since she was already using Water Jutsus in the womb, I think it's fitting." Suki says with a smile.

"Umiko Uchiha. I like it." Suigetsu says as he smiles and tickles his daughter's belly.

It was just so cute. He supposed all babies had bellies like that. It just begged to be messed with.

Umiko giggles and squirms around wildly. Well, wildly by baby standards. Still Suigetsu was rather pleased with this response. She was definitely a healthy Super Baby.

* * *

"It's also good alliteration." Itachi observes with amusement as he walks into the room with Mei at his side.

Suki nods in agreement as the other couple soon join them. She never really thought that she'd end up married to a Criminal Ninja and that she and Itachi would reconcile, but they had. Not only that, but she had a beautiful daughter.

"Oh Suki, she's beautiful." Mei beams at her, once she got a good look at Umiko.

"Yeah. She definitely takes after Suki. That's a good thing for her too by the way." Naruto says as he bounds inside with Karin following off after him.

Karin's own belly was round with child. Umiko was going to have a playmate soon enough, Suki muses to herself. Naruto and Karin didn't know what gender their baby was going to be yet.

The two of them wanted it to be a surprise. Suki didn't know how Naruto was actually waiting that long to find out. Normally, he was one of the most impatient people that she had ever seen. She suspected that the red head had a role in her husband's newfound patience though.

"You're such an idiot." Suigetsu mutters as he rolls his eyes at Naruto.

"Naruto is right though. She really is an adorable kid." Jugo says with a smile.

Suki nods in agreement. She had been worth every morning when she couldn't keep breakfast down and every damn contraction. She was their little Super Baby.

"Mhm. I should probably introduce her to Aoda and Garuda. I'll Summon them and just have them peak through the window." Suki decides.

"Suki, you just had a baby. Are you sure that you're up to Summoning them and is it really safe to have them around a newborn? I mean Aoda and Garuda are cool and everything, but they are big and might accidentally crush her or something!" The new father exclaims.

Suki just kisses his cheek and performs the Summoning. She had promised them that she would let them meet their daughter and an Uchiha always kept their promises. It really was as simple as that.

"Aoda and Garuda would never harm Umiko. Not even accidentally." She assures him as two loud pops are heard outside.

Kisame blinks as he looks out the window and Suki had a pretty good idea why. Her Summons damn impressive, if she did say so herself. It wasn't everyday that you saw a snake as tall as a two story building or a hawk that was Garuda's size.

"You can do all that after giving birth? Damn. Itachi, you're kid sister is scary. Though it looks like you won the gender bet." The blue skinned man says with a sigh as he hands Itachi a rather large bag.

A large bag that was filled with money. Suki could see some of it peeking out over the top. Those two had really gambled serious money on Umiko's gender. She didn't know whether to smack them for being idiots or to laugh.

"May I see the Hatchling?" Aoda asks excitedly.

"Yeah. Sure. I guess if Suki's okay with it, it's okay!" Naruto says as he scurries over to scoop up Umiko.

"You are NOT touching my Mini Princess." Suigetsu growls at him and with that, the sword lover picks up his daughter and carries her towards the window.

Amazingly, the kid didn't cry. Suigetsu had never seen a kid that was less scared of a giant snake and hawk before. Then again, he doubted that very many newborns were exposed to Summons. So he might be exaggerating, but still it was impressive that she didn't cry.

Garuda smiles at her and looks closely. The hawk didn't say anything, but Suigetsu could swear that the bird really was smiling. He seemed happy to see her.

Aoda was more talkative. That wasn't surprising though. Suigetsu swore that Summon was really a golden retriever trapped in a snake's body.

"She's a beautiful Hatchling. You must be very proud." The serpent comments.

"Oh yeah! We're very proud!" Suigetsu says with a smirk.

"Mmm he's cute when he thinks he's being tough." Suki says with a smile as she beckons her husband to join her.

Suigetsu didn't think he was being tough. He knew that he was being tough. He was a badass ninja. He just happened to be a father now. A father of the most adorable little bundle of joy in the entire world, but still!

"Princess, I ain't acting." He grumbles as he sets Umiko in Suki's arms.

"Mhm. Sure you aren't." Suki replies and with that, she pulls him down for a deep kiss.

"Well I think that we've intruded enough for today. I do believe that my foolish little sister wishes to bond with her daughter and her husband." Itachi states.

"Mmm. It does look that way. Come, My Love." Mei orders him as she drags her lover off.

Suigetsu kisses back and after he breaks it, he blinks. Did that really just happen? Had Mei just drug Itachi Uchiha off like it was nothing?

"Yeah. He's pretty whipped. I can't really blame him though. Women is a looker." Kisame comments with a smirk.

Oh no. He wasn't getting into trouble for this again. Mei might be beautiful, but she was no Suki. He also definitely wasn't going to make his wife jealous, right after she'd given birth.

Suigetsu was many things. Suicidal wasn't one of them. It would definitely be suicidal to taunt the Uchiha Matriarch now.

"Whatever. Well I'll see you guys later. I think that our Super Baby is hungry. She probably wants to nurse. So yeah! Beat it!" He says cheerfully.

A few chuckles were heard as everyone leaves. That included even the medic and nurse. Which Suigetsu appreciated. He did want some privacy with his family.

"Mmm that was well done." Suki comments as she proceeds to feed their newborn.

"Thanks. She's adorable, Suki! I mean it! Oh and it's going to be so much fun teaching her how to use a sword in a few years. I'll make sure to get her a pink sword too!" He says brightly.

"Suigetsu, you're lucky that I love you. Otherwise I would have Chidoried you for that. Our daughter is not getting a pink sword." She grumbles.

"Yeah. You're right. I guess it would be best to get her something more respectable. Something lightweight at first too. Hmm. I'll find her something cool. Don't worry!" He continues and Suki groans.

She loved him with all her heart. Truly, she did. That didn't meant that she wouldn't smack him, if he seriously gave Umiko a sword when she was a toddler or something.

One day, Umiko would grow up to be a powerful ninja. Suki was sure of it, but she was not going to let Suigetsu teach her how to use a sword until she was at least five, preferably ten.

"Not until she's ten." Suki grumbles.

"What?! Ten?! Oh come on. I'll be careful and it'll give her a head start on the other Academy kids!" He protests.

"Fine. Five, but not any sooner. I mean it, Suigetsu. If I catch you trying to teach our toddler how to use a sword, your Chamber Privileges will be revoked." The Uchiha woman warns him.

That shut him up. Hmpf. Well at least she knew how to make Suigetsu behave. She really had to thank Mei for giving her the Chamber Privilege threat. It sounded so much more intimidating than threatening him with sleeping on the couch.

"Alright! Alright! No real swords until she's five. How about play swords though? Like plastic or wood? Just so she gets the idea." He asks hopefully.

"You're impossible. Fine. Plastic swords are fine. No wooden ones though. I don't want her to get splinters." Suki replies.


	22. Priorities

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Suki and Suigetsu certainly have their priorities straight.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's Note: Thanks for the reviews. I hope that you enjoy this chapter. Suki's revenge is finally here.
> 
> Chapter Notation: I put up warnings before and after Suki's revenge. If you're sensitive to blood and gore, you might want to skip that scene. Doing so will not alter the plot. For those of you who have been eagerly awaiting this scene though, enjoy!

_It's been a month,_ Suki thinks to herself as she glances down at Umiko in her crib and smiles. It'd been a month since their Super Baby had officially come into this world and thankfully, Umiko was now developing something resembling a sleeping pattern. Which was frankly a relief.

Suki was a ninja. She was used to staying up late or waking up early. What she wasn't used to was getting thirty minutes or an hour of sleep and waking up to the sounds of a baby crying. To say the least, it was an adjustment.

"She's such a princess. Just like her mother. When she wants something, she's going to get it. Right at that second." Suigetsu says with a yawn as he kisses her cheek.

"Mmm are you trying to say that we're spoiled?" Suki asks as she raises an eyebrow.

It was worth it though. Umiko was quite frankly the most adorable thing that Suki had ever seen. When she wasn't crying their daughter was quite content to just cuddle up to her chest, nurse, or play with them.

Umiko for the most part was a happy child. She giggled and cooed a lot, especially around Suigetsu. Though Suki suspected that was mostly because Suigetsu liked tickling her, making silly faces, and spinning her around more than Suki was completely comfortable with. Their Super Baby was NOT a rag doll!

"Maybe a little, but I like spoiling my Princesses." Suigetsu says with a smirk as he places a kiss to the back of her shoulder.

"Well, Mommy isn't quite ready to be spoiled THAT much yet, but maybe she can have a nice bubble bath with Daddy." Suki smirks as she leans against him.

"I really didn't need to hear that." Itachi says as he walks into the room.

Suki shrugs. If nothing else, she did enjoy making Itachi squirm. Suigetsu was a _very_ attentive husband and that drove her brother crazy.

"Well if you didn't sneak into our room like that, you wouldn't overhear stuff like that! What can I say? I have a gorgeous wife who appreciates a good bubble bath as much as I do." The violet eyed ninja says smugly.

"As much fun as it is to tease him, I think that he wanted something. Itachi, what is it?" Suki asks.

She sees Itachi pause and sighs. The Uchiha woman knew what was going to happen next. Damn it. Not again.

Itachi was going to try to talk her out of it. He didn't want her to reveal the Leaf's dirty laundry. Well that was just too bad. One way or another, the Leaf was going to pay for what it did to their family and she was going to protect Umiko. This was the best way to do that.

"Why do you want to go there? You have a new home now, Suki. You have a beautiful daughter and a loving husband. I may find Suigetsu to be extremely irritating, but it's obvious that he loves you. You're happy here. Why do you need to do this?" The elder Uchiha Sibling asks her.

"I'm doing this for my own peace of mind and for yours. How do you expect me to feel safe, when I know what the Leaf is capable of? Itachi, I have a daughter. I'm not going to let them get away with what they did to the rest of our family and give them another chance to take her from me." Suki begins.

As soon as the words left her mouth, the young mother knew what was going to happen. Well she knew what was going to happen, if she didn't launch a preemptive strike. Suki needed to get this off her chest and she wasn't going to let Itachi stop her from doing so.

"Suki…" Itachi whispers, but he never got to finish what he was saying.

"After everything that village put the both of you through, the least that they can do is have the decency to fess up to what they did. Oh and you're going to let my wife finish saying what she has to say. If you don't, I'm going to carve up that pretty face of yours with my blade." The sword lover warns him.

Suki smiles. That was just one of the many reasons why she loved Suigetsu. He was extremely protective of her in his own _unique_ way.

"Mmm thank you." Suki whispers to Suigetsu as she kisses him.

"I've got your back, Princess." Her husband assures her between kisses.

Suki smiles as she enjoys the feeling of his lips against her own. That and she knew that Itachi would be annoyed by their affectionate display. Itachi could be a bit hypocritical in that way. He certainly had no issue kissing Mei in front of her! So she didn't know why he got so sulky about the reverse.

"Touching. Truly. Well once again it's no mystery how my foolish little sister became a foolish little mother." Itachi sighs..

"Pft. Whatever. You're still going to listen to what my wife has to say. I don't make idle threats, Itachi. I will carve up that pretty little face of yours and then we'll see if Mei was in love with you for that charming personality of yours or your good looks." Suigetsu says with a toothy smirk.

"You're such an idiot. Suki, what do you see in him?" Itachi mutters as he smacks his forehead.

Suki tries not to laugh, but she fails miserably. Itachi just looked so completely forlorn. It was funny.

"Mmm well he's very affectionate. He's loyal. A wonderful father. Attractive. Oh and he's really good with his sword." Suki answers him.

"Was that last part really necessary?" Itachi asks as he rolls his eyes.

"I meant the METAL sword! You pervert! Though he is quite skilled at wielding that one too." The young woman retorts as she rolls her own eyes.

It was fun teasing Itachi. She still had a mission to complete though and Suki wasn't going to let her brother stop her. This had to be done. It had to be done for all their sakes.

"That's damn right!" Suigetsu says smugly.

"I didn't come here to talk about your…warm martial bed. I came here to talk some sense into my foolish little sister." Itachi says.

Suki sighs. She knew it. She knew that Itachi was going to do this. He wasn't going to stop her though. The Uchiha woman simply wouldn't allow it. Not this time.

"We've been over this at least a thousand times. We'll never truly be safe until the truth is out and I'm going to clear your name. You aren't the monster that they have made you out to be and we both know that. This is about justice." Suki growls.

"You have a daughter. If this ends poorly, Umito could become an orphan." Itachi warns her.

"You don't think I know that?! That's why I'm sending clones. I'm not dumb enough to go in person. Suigetsu is sending a clone as well. If they try something, the Leaf will have to be willing to go to war with the Mist Village. I think we both know that they aren't willing to do that." Suki snarls.

Itachi sighs and glances down at the sleeping baby in the crib. Suki had everything that she wanted, but she was afraid that she'd lose it at any moment. That was his fault really.

He was the one who had taken her peace of mind from her. Itachi had done it to prevent a war, but the effects on her psyche were undeniable. That and as much as he wanted to deny it, her words weren't entirely illogical.

"Did you even try to talk her out of this?" He demands of Suigetsu.

"What? Hell no! One, the Leaf has this coming. Two, have you met your sister. She's very stubborn. There's no talking her out of anything." Suigetsu reminds him with a smirk.

Itachi sighs and shakes his head in response. Well he couldn't argue with his second point. It was the first that he took issue with.

Most of the Leaf had no idea what had really happened on that horrible night. Most of the Leaf Village was completely innocent of the crimes committed against his family and his Clan hadn't been unsuspecting victims. They had been planning a coup. It just hadn't turned out the way they planned.

"I'm staying here. In the event that they attack the Mist, I will be here to defend our family and Mei." He whispers.

"Thank you, Itachi. This won't go badly though. I've thought this through. I promise." Suki whispers.

"I sincerely hope that is indeed the case, my foolish little sister." Itachi says as he pokes her forehead affectionately.

Suki smiles at him and forms a clone. For a brief moment, Itachi allows himself to believe that this was all going to be okay. That somehow, they'd all pull through this.

It only lasted a few seconds, but he saw it. Itachi Uchiha saw a glimpse of the adorable girl that she used to be. The girl that Umito still might have a chance to become.

"I'll also make a clone. I think that I might have a better idea for how to punish them." He offers cautiously.

"Would you really do that for me?" Suki asks as she tilts her head to the side in surprise.

"Suki, there is very little that I wouldn't do for you and my niece. I'm your big brother. It's my job to protect you, even when you are being foolish. Which is almost always the case. For instance, you married Suigetsu. How much more foolish can you possibly get?" Itachi inquires with a sly smirk.

After teasing his sister, Itachi chooses to ignore the glares that Suigetsu sent his way for that comment. Taunting Suigetsu was one of life's little joys. One of those guilty pleasures that he had scarcely ever had the chance to indulge in, but Itachi didn't actually want to fight him. There was a limit to how much he was willing to push the other man.

"Mmm actually, that was the best decision that I ever made." Suki says with a smile.

"Awe. Such a sweet Princess. Now, let's go gut those bastards like a fish." He says with a fang-tastic grin.

Those teeth were way too sharp. He still didn't have the faintest idea how Suki managed to kiss him with out getting her face torn off. Though apparently, she had managed. She'd managed that and more, judging by the fact that Itachi had a niece.

"I'm glad that you added that last part. I was about to get cavities from that much sweetness. Well as Mei already knows about your little scheme, I say that our clones should head off." He mutters.

* * *

A few days later, they all arrived in the Leaf Village. At the moment, Itachi's clone had assumed the form of Dai again. It was easier. Well at least until the Leaf knew the truth.

"Alright, Suki. You can tell them what happened. Just don't destroy the village." Naruto warns her.

Itachi knew that the blonde had good reason to be cautious. There was a better chance than not, that this would end in bloodshed. A lot of bloodshed. He just had to hope that Suki knew what she was doing.

"Before she begins, I would like to remind everyone that these three are all Mist Ninjas now. Any attack on them will be considered a declaration of war." Mei says.

Itachi smiles at Mei. She had left for the Leaf Village a day or two before they had. It was always good to have a Kage on your side during situations like this. Life or death situations.

"There will be no need to go to war today! Suki, you may speak!" Tsunade informs her.

"Alright. All of you know what happened to my family. You all know that they were killed by Itachi, but you don't know why. It seems that my family was planning a Coup." Suki begins as she stands in the center of the Village Square.

Suigetsu places his hand on her shoulder in a gesture of solitary and Itachi nods in approval. If nothing else, he knew that the brat was in love with his sister. While he wouldn't have been his first choice for Suki, his foolish little sister had made a good one. Not that he was ever going to tell her that.

"A Coup?!" Someone thunders from the crowd in outrage.

"QUIET! Your Hokage gave her permission to speak. Interrupting her is defying a direct order. Do you want to be punished for insubordination?" Mei thunders at the villager.

Suigetsu smirks at that reaction. He had to give Itachi this much. The man had good taste. That was one Hell of a woman.

She wasn't in Suki's league, but she was up there. A little old for his taste, really. Though she was perfect for Itachi. He could only hope that Mei would smack him around enough to keep the eldest living Uchiha in line.

"Thank you, Mei. Now where was I? You could call it disloyal, but the Leaf was disloyal first. We helped to found the Leaf and Madara even named this village and what did we get in return?" The raven haired woman demands.

Suigetsu watches his wife anxiously. Actually, he was watching everyone anxiously. They might be clones, but the fall out from this might not just be confined to their clones.

This was a risk and they all knew it. Unfortunately, it was one that they had to take. They had to take it for Umiko.

"Suki…" Karin calls out uncertainly.

"It's alright, Karin. The truth has to be told. We were banished to a District and made into the Leaf's Military Police Force. Our Clan was forced to corral other ninjas. We were made to do the Leaf's dirty work and we were good at it. After all, only powerful ninjas can ensure that other ninjas follow the rules. For a few generations, this arrangement was tolerated." The Uchiha woman continues.

The sword lover winces as he listens to the woman that he loved give her speech. The speech that he knew that she had likely been planning for months. The one that must have been haunting her dreams. Today was the day that an army of skeletons was about to come out of the Leaf's closet and he didn't know what was going to happen.

"Let her finish." Naruto whispers to Karin as he eyes Suki like one might eye a dangerous animal.

"The Uchiha Clan was both respected, but mostly feared. People fear what they don't understand and what people fear, they kill. Really, it was only a matter of time before either the Leaf attacked us or we attacked them. Our family chose to strike first." The young mother says as she glances at Itachi.

That was when Suigetsu sees Itachi move next to Suki. This was the moment. This was the moment when everyone was going to know what really happened this night.

"The Leaf found out about the plot. I was given a choice. Kill my family or fight in a Civil War in the Leaf. A Civil War that would have weakened our village and likely triggered another Great Ninja War. After all, it's only natural that the other villages would take advantage of our weakness." He says and with that, he dispels the Jutsu to reveal his true form.

There were loud gasps of shock. That was to be expected. It didn't end there. Soon a roar of fury and confusion was heard.

"Quiet! My brother wasn't finished. He chose to kill our family. To kill hundreds to save tens of thousands. He only asked that I would be spared. I was too young to know what was going on. I have no knowledge of the plot. It was all supposed to be rather convenient." Suki mutters in disgust.

"What do you mean?!" Sakura calls out from the crowd.

The pink haired girl. Suigetsu remembered her. She was one of Suki's former teammates. It was only natural that she would be one of the more vocal audience members, he supposed.

"Itachi would be the villain. I would be the hero who killed him. The Leaf's genocide would remain a secret and I would restore the Clan. The Leaf would get to keep its bloodline and its reputation intact. It didn't work out that way." Suki answers.

There was something really hot about this whole Goddess of Revenge thing. Damn. They were definitely taking that bubble bath later.

"Itachi has already been interrogated by both Leaf and Mist Ninjas. His memories have been probed to prove that what he is claiming did indeed happen. My love, if you would kindly ensure that the Councilmen and Councilwomen don't run away like the cowards they are?" Suki asks sweetly.

"You got it, Princess!" Suigetsu says as he hurls his sword out, slamming it into Danzo's shoulder.

The sword went straight through his shoulder and pinned him against a tree. Perfect. Though Suigetsu noticed that he wasn't the only one who had drawn his weapons. Itachi had as well.

He throws kunais at the other members of the Council. They were pinioned to the side of a building. All of them had tried to bolt at the same time, but the Uchiha Prodigy was too fast for them.

"Nice shots!" Suigetsu compliments him.

"Thank you. Though this gives me no pleasure." He murmurs.

"Tsunade, would you care to explain what is about to happen to the rest of the villagers? I'd rather not start a war over the fossils." Suki inquires.

Oh yeah. Revenge Goddess Suki was a very hot Suki. Well every version of Suki was hot, really. So that was to be expected.

"Very well. I wasn't Hokage when the Massacre was authorized, but I can't say that I approve. Things never should have been allowed to escalate to that point. I struck a deal to prevent a war. I have recognized the Uchiha Family's Blood Right in exchange for all hostilities to cease after the death of the Council. I'd say a life for a life, but far more Uchihas were killed than Council Members. Thankfully, Suki and Itachi have decided to overlook that fact." Tsunade explains.

"YOU'RE INSANE! YOU CAN'T DO THIS!" Danzo screams at her.

Suki's eyes narrow. She knew Danzo had played one of the largest parts in her family's demise and she also knew what was under those bandages. That was why he was going to die screaming. They all would, but especially him.

"I'm sure that my family would have said the same thing about your wearing their corpses on your arm. You stole their eyes and hid them under those bandages!" Suki hisses at him as she darts over and slams her fist into his stomach.

"What are you talking about?! He wouldn't defile someone's grave in such a fashion!" Hiashi Hyuga roars at her.

"Oh you clearly don't know him as well as you think you do." Suki hisses as she yanks off his bandages while Danzo struggles to regain his breath.

She watches Itachi makes eye contact with the Council Members. Soon enough, they were all trapped in his Tsukuyomi. A world entirely of her brother's creation and one that he was being kind enough to grant her entry to.

"Did you want Suigetsu to join us?" Itachi asks softly.

"No. He doesn't need to see this." Suki mutters.

"I should have had him kill you or done it myself. Itachi, how can you possibly sanction whatever barbarianism that she has in mind? You know that we did what was right!" Danzo roars at him.

Suki sees Itachi wince and briefly contemplates whether he felt guilty for what they were about to do. It didn't matter though. They had to suffer. They had to drive the point home.

No one was ever going to harm their family again. After today, the Five Nations would know what would happen to those that crossed the Uchiha Clan. She was going to make sure of it.

"We did what was necessary to advert a war and now, I'm doing what is necessary to prevent another." Itachi tells him.

**Warning Suki's Revenge Scene**

"Make them feel what we did. Make them feel what you did when you were forced to slaughter our family and what I felt when I saw their bodies." Suki says.

Itachi nods and Sasuke saw him brace himself as he performed the technique. His new technique that he had mastered for just this occasion. The one that would allow him to transplant a memory into another person.

It didn't take long for the Council Members who had received Suki's memories to break down sobbing uncontrollably. Good. Now, they would know the pain she felt that day.

"Give Danzo yours. He's the one that needs punished most. He's the one that defiled our family's bodies and used their eyes like his own personal kunais." She hisses.

Itachi nods and does as she asked. Suki watches with a dark satisfaction as the man's eyes glaze over and he seems to be going into a state of shock. Good. The bastard deserved it. He deserved to suffer!

"It's done. Shall we kill them now?" Itachi asks.

"Not yet. That's only the first part of their punishment. I can't do what you do, but I can inflict pain. That's something that I learned in the Sound Village. I'm not a medic, but I know enough to make them suffer." Suki says bitterly.

Once the memories receded, Suki goes to work. She begins by slashing them across the eyes. Blood poured from the wounds and they cried out in agony as they were either partially or fully blinded.

"Now, you'll know how I felt. Completely helpless. Alone. Because of you, I was kept in the dark for most of my life. So it seems fitting to return the favor." She snarls.

After that, she slashes everywhere that she could reach with her sword. Well everywhere except vial points. They were slowly bleeding out. There was blood everywhere, but she wasn't done.

She punches and kicks them. The sound of bones breaking and crunching could be heard with every strike. As could the sounds of their cries of agony, but Suki refused to relent.

"You're a m-monster! We should have killed you when we had the chance." Danzo says through gritted teeth as blood spilled freely from his mouth.

"You're right. You should have, but you just couldn't give up the Sharingan that easily. Not only did you keep me alive to have more Uchihas to use as weapons in the future, you stole the eyes of our family members and used them for your own gain. Well after I send you to Hell, we're taking them back." Suki spat in his face.

She knew it was wrong, but she reveled in his suffering. He was the man who had nearly taken everything from her. Well at least she got her brother back and her family would finally be avenged now. That and she had a new family.

A new family that she was going to protect at all costs. That meant that Danzo and the rest of the Council had to die. It was for Umiko's safety. There was never going to be another Uchiha Massacre.

"You b-bitch!" Danzo snarls at her as the other Council Members plead for their life or bend over in agony.

"That's accurate enough. Now, go to Hell." She say as she throws a fireall at all of them.

She could hear their cries of pain and smell the scent of charred flesh, even in this illusionary world. It all felt so real and yet, it was not.

"Don't you think that you're being a bit overdramatic?" Itachi asks her.

"Oh I'm just getting started." Suki assures her brother as she charges up a Chidori along her fist and slams it in to the heart of one of Council Members.

She "died" in the illusionary world almost instantly. One by one, Suki delivered fatal blows to their hearts as they were being "burned alive." She saved Danzo for last though. She cut his heart out slowly.

As he finally stopped moving, Itachi released his Genjutsu. They were back in the real world. To everyone else, only a few seconds had passed. To the Council though, it had likely seemed like an eternity.

"Now, you know what happens to my family. You can take your own miserable lives now or we'll just keep doing that again and again until you do. I'm not going to dirty my blade with your filthy blood." She spits at them.

One by one, the Council Members took their lives with the kunai that Suki handed each of them. Well all but Danzo. She releases him from the tree and the idiot actually tried to charge at her. That was a fatal mistake.

**End of Suki Revenge Scene**

"Get away from my wife!" Suigetsu snarls as he fires off several Water Bullets, shooting Danzo fatally in the head.

The man fell over almost immediately. Suki could see the bullet wounds where her husband's attack had struck true. He wouldn't be getting up again. Not after the Water Bullets had pierce straight through his skull.

"Thanks." Suki says with a smile as she unsheathes her own sword and cuts off Danzo's arm.

The arm that had the Sharingans on it. She, Itachi, and the eventually Umiko would be able to make Eternal Mangekyo Sharingans with these. One good thing would come out of Danzo's treachery, she supposed.

"Anytime, Princess. You might be a Clone, but it's the principle of the thing." He says with a grin.

"A clone?! You were using a clone this whole time?!" Naruto demands.

"Mmm. We all were. There was no way to tell how the Leaf would react to the truth. So we took the proper precautions." Suki says with a shrug as she surveys the damage.

All of the Council was dead now. That was no surprise though. After she and Itachi had punished for their sins in the elder Uchiha's Tsukuyomi, most of them had gladly ended their own suffering rather than risk being subjected to that again. All of them, except for Danzo.

That old bastard still had some fight left in him. How he was able to move after that much psychological torture was beyond Suki, but the elderly ninja had managed somehow. Not that he had gotten far. Suigetsu's Water Bullets had seen to that.

"You were still far too dramatic." Itachi whispers to Suki.

As if to prove his point, there were screams heard throughout the crowd. After all, it wasn't everyday that three Council Members took their own lives in front of a crowd or that one was assassinated by Water Bullets. It was only natural that they would panic.

"SILENCE! The blood debt has been paid. From this moment onward the Uchiha Clan is part of the Mist Village. The Leaf holds no legal authority over them and the Uchiha has pledged that it will not attack the Leaf as long as we do not attack them. It's over. We shall bury them and with that, we shall burry an ugly chapter in our village's history." Tsunade decrees.

Suki nods in agreement. She had to hand it to Tsunade. The woman sure knew how to handle a crowd.

"I wasn't being overdramatic. It's over now." Suki whispers to her brother and with that, the clones all headed back towards the Mist Village.

Suki's clone carries Danzo's hand as she walks alongside Suigetsu's clone. It was over. It was finally over.

"Well Princess, that was one Hell of a show you just put on. I'm sorry that I didn't get to see the main event though." He says cheekily.

"Mmm. I didn't want you to see that. That was part of my past. You and Umiko are my future. Now, the dead can finally rest in peace and we can enjoy a hot bubble bath to celebrate our victory over the Leaf." She whispers.

"That's my girl! Glad to see you have your priorities straight." He says with a smirk.


	23. The Best Advice

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After her graduation, Suki gives Umiko some great advice.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's Note: Thanks for the reviews. I hope that you all enjoy the grand finale of Something More. If you're interested, please feel free to check out my other stories.
> 
> Chapter Notation: This is set twelve years in the future and will be told from Umiko's perspective.

Umiko Uchiha smiles as she stands with her classmates for her graduation ceremony. She had finally done it. She had graduated the Mist's Ninja Academy. She was a real ninja now.

"Umiko Uchiha!" Jugo calls out her name and with that, the Uchiha girl proceeds to scurry over to her Uncle Jugo.

At some point, the gentle giant had become an Academy Instructor for the Mist Village. He had finally gotten his rages under control and it turned out that Jugo was very good with children. So becoming an Academy Instructor had been a perfect fit for him.

"I'm here!" The young ninja says with a fang-tastic smile.

"Yes, you are. Well you've earned this." The Taka Member says as he hands her a ninja headband with the Mist Symbol on it.

"Thank you." Umiko whispers as she puts it on.

Suddenly the room burst into applause. Umiko suspected that was because she was the last person to receive their headband. Everyone's name had been called out in alphabetical order and that meant that she had gone last.

That was fine with her though. As far as she was concerned, they were just saving the best for last. That and it meant she could head over to her parents and not wait for more of her classmates' names to be called.

"You're welcome. Why don't you go celebrate with your family?" He suggests.

"Alright!" Umiko agrees with her uncle and not a moment later, Umiko was back at her family's side.

It was a large family now. She was the eldest. Her brother Mangetsu was 10 and the oldest boy. After him, the twins had come. Kazumi and Amaya. They were both 8, but Kazumi had been born five minutes before Amaya. A fact that he never failed to lord over her.

"We're so proud of you." Suki says with a smile as she leans down to kiss her eldest daughter's cheek.

The next generation hadn't stopped there though. Uncle Itachi and Auntie Mei had two children of their own. Both girls. Miya and Mieko. They were both 11. Oh and not to mention there was also Taro.

Taro was Karin's and Naruto's son. He was a few months younger than Umiko, but had graduated with her. The red head greatly resembled his paternal grandfather, except for his hair and the fact he had inherited his father's whisker marks.

"Thanks mom! So does this mean that I get the Samehada now?" She asks hopefully.

"I should have seen that coming. Suigetsu?" The Uchiha Matriarch asks her husband.

Suigetsu smirks and that was when Umiko knew that her father was up to something. Something that was likely going to drive her mother crazy. Judging by the fact that all of the Uchihas were staring at him, it looked like everyone else in her family thought the same thing.

"Of course. She's a big girl now. Big girls need big girl swords." Suigetsu says as he hands Umiko the massive blade.

"There's no way that she's going to be able to hold that! It's way too big!" Taro says.

"I can too!" Umiko grumbles, not particularly caring for the fact that someone had just told her she wasn't capable of doing something.

Her long white hair cascaded around her as she bent over to pick up the massive sword. She grits her sharp teeth and picks it up. Well, she had to use her family's water jutsu to make one arm bigger than the other, but she did it.

"Ha! See?! I told you that I could do it." She says smugly.

"Whoa! That's pretty cool! Does it hurt to make your arm expand like that?" He asks curiously.

Umiko shakes her head. No. It felt fine. Though she knew that she wouldn't be able to do it indefinitely. She was gonna have to train a lot to get strong enough to lug this thing around without getting tired out fast.

"Is the Samehada sparkling?" Kisame asks in disbelief.

That's when Umiko blinks and looks closer. Yeah. It was sparkling. Oh dear God, no! Her father had covered it with pink glitter! She was going to die of embarrassment!

"I told you that our daughter wasn't going to use a pink sword!" Suki hisses at Suigetsu.

"It's not pink. Well not naturally anyway. I figured that it was a nice touch." Suigetsu says smugly as his wife and eldest daughter glower at him in outrage.

"That is such a technicality!" Amaya points out.

Amaya's name meant night rain and she lived up to it. Her hair was black as night and came all the way to her waist. Her eyes were violet like her own and the girl could use Water Jutsus at Chunin Level already. She was likely brushing up against Jonin Level actually.

While Umiko favored silk fighting kimonos, her younger sister favored high collared shirts and shorts. In that respect, she supposed that the sassy Uchiha girl was more of a tomboy than her. Sadly, she was barely proficient with swords. Though her sister could wield kunais better than almost anyone!

"Yes, it is. Since I technically didn't violate the rule, that means I don't get my Chamber Privileges revoked." He says smugly.

Umiko feels her face heat up in embarrassment. Her siblings might be too young to understand what their father meant, but she did. Though she suspected that her eleven year old cousins probably knew too, especially Miya.

Miya was her eldest cousin. Her name meant beauty and that was certainly accurate. The girl's shoulder length hair was the same exotic shade as her mother's and her eyes were smoky gray like her father's. That and much to her twin's chagrin, she loved wearing floral dresses.

"Auntie Suki is still going to be really mad though. So you might lose your Chamber Privileges anyway." Miya points out.

"I doubt that. Auntie Suki loves me too much for that." Suigetsu says as he places a kiss on the Uchiha woman's cheek.

Miya was very bright, but she was also a die hard romantic. The girl had taken to reading Jirayia's books and well she'd gotten a lot of funny ideas in her head about love. She definitely believed in the fairytale type of romance. The kind that included beautiful sunsets, white horses, and Prince Charmings. So yeah, she probably knew about Chamber Privileges.

"You did great!" Naruto tells his son proudly as Umiko was continuing her musings.

"Thanks! So do I get a really cool sword too?" He asks brightly.

'"I've never really used swords much. I could teach you how to summon toads though." Naruto offers.

If any twelve year old could learn how to summon the massive toads, it was probably Taro. Well at least that was Umiko's belief. After all, he had graduated towards the top of the class with her.

His name meant big boy or first son. Umiko had always scoffed at that fact. Auntie Karin and Uncle Naruto weren't the most creative people when it came to naming people, but she couldn't deny that it was an apt description.

"That would be awesome!" The red head exclaims cheerfully.

Taro easily towered over the other boys his age. He was really strong too. Apparently, he had been trained by someone that Naruto called Bushy Brows. Bushy Brows was some Leaf Villager that specialized in Taijutsu and loved spandex too much, according to her mother.

Against opponents who fought with Taijutsu, Ninjutsu, or some combination, the Uzumaki boy was almost unbeatable. Though he was absolutely hopeless against Genjutsu. Umiko figured that he was just naturally susceptible to it due to his trusting nature really.

"Let's go get some ramen!" Naruto suggests happily.

He was from the Leaf Village, but he had transferred to the Mist's Academy. The Leaf might never come out and say this directly, but he was probably going to be Hokage. His parents sent him to a different Academy every year until he graduated.

Umiko was pretty sure that was to make sure that he knew about the Five Great Nations. That he would understand about the different cultures, fighting styles, histories, and so forth. Whether or not the playful youth actually cared about such things, she wasn't sure though.

"I really don't get why you are so obsessed with cheap noodles, but sure. I could eat. Come on, guys." Sugietsu calls out.

* * *

That was all it took. The Uchiha and Uzumaki stampede towards the Ramen shop was a sight to behold to put it mildly. Umiko sighs and follows after them with her sword in tow. It was really too heavy to carry and be at the front of the pack at the moment.

"Cousin Umiko, maybe you should just let Uncle Suigetsu carry that thing for awhile." Mieko offers.

"No! I'm fine! I can do it! I got this!" She assures her.

Mieko was the youngest of Itachi's daughters. Her name meant beautiful or blessed child. Like her sister, she had Mei's hair and Itachi's eyes. Unlike her sister, she wore it in a high ponytail that still managed to come to her waist and favored cotton fighting kimonos. Generally, ones that came in darker colors.

"Don't worry about it. If you want, we can train together. Lee taught me lots of Taijutsu stuff. Some weight training will probably be helpful for carrying that thing around." Taro says as he hangs back for a moment until she catches up with him.

"I'd love to train with you!" Umiko says with a shy smile and a few feet ahead, she hears her father groan.

"Suki, did you hear that?" The white haired man demands.

"That he wants to train with her? Yeah. Sure. So?" Suki replies as she walks side by side with her husband.

"Yeah! So?! What's wrong with them training together?!" Naruto growls in outage.

Oh boy. She could tell this was going to get ugly. So could Mangetsu apparently. Her brother was slowly backing away from the impending fight. He wasn't stupid.

In fact, he was the opposite of stupid really. He was a freaking genius when it came to battle strategy and had a photographic memory. That had served him really well on tests. Sometimes she envied her brother's ability to memorize things so easily.

"You're such an idiot. I can't believe that I even have to explain that to you." Suigetsu growls back at him.

"Father, Uncle Naruto, should we really be fighting on Umito's and Taro's graduation day?" Kazumi asks.

Kazumi looked exactly like their father, but younger and with black hair. His name meant Beautiful Peace. Oddly enough, he was the peacemaker of the family. While he had inherited Sugietsu's looks, he certainly hadn't inherited his personality.

The eight year old took after their mother in abilities. His fireballs burned the hottest out of the six of them. Hotter than his brother's, sisters', and cousins. It was incredible. His Ninjutsu was outstanding, but he was a klutz with a sword. (This was much to their father's chagrin, but they had bonded over their shared love of seafood).

"That's right. You really shouldn't be bickering like children in front of the children." Mei chastises them.

"Whatever!" Naruto and Suigetsu both say at once.

As they got to the Ramen Shop, Umito smiles. It was Uncle Obito! He must have delivered the Kuro Twins earlier than expected!

"Ah there you are. Sorry that I missed the ceremony. The labor went on longer than expected. I had to perform a C-Section. By the time I was done, I figured the ceremony would be over. So I figured I'd wait for you all here." Obito explains.

"Ah cool! Are the twins okay? Wait. How'd you know that we'd all be here?" Taro asks in confusion.

"Because I know Naruto Uzumaki. The only thing that he loves almost as much as his family is ramen." Obito replies as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

To be fair, Umito had to agree with her uncle on that one. Naruto really did adore Ramen. That much was obvious.

"How are things going at the hospital?" Suki inquires.

"Well and oh to answer your question, Taro…the twins are fine. I don't know what it is about this village. It has an unusual number of twins. I suspect it might be something in the water." He says with a chuckle.

A long time ago, Uncle Obito and Uncle Itachi hadn't gotten along well at all. Uncle Obito had wanted to trap everyone in some crazy Genjutsu or something. Umiko didn't understand the details, but she supposed that it didn't matter.

Naruto had Talk No Jutsued him out of it. That's what Umiko called it when you were able to turn Bad Guys into Good Guys by talking to them. Talking to them a lot! She wasn't really sure how that worked, but apparently the blonde Hokage was really good at it!

"Yeah. I have kinda wondered about that myself." Kisame says with a smirk.

"Too bad that Jugo couldn't join us, but I guess he's gotta clean up after the ceremony." Naruto says with a laugh.

"Mhm. Most likely." Suki agrees as she orders the food.

Obito was now a medic at the hospital. No only that, he was the head medic. Naruto must have Talk No Jutsued him good because the man often said that he was happier patching people up than tearing into them on the battlefield.

"So Mini Princess, do you really think you can handle my old sword?" Kisame asks.

"I don't think that I can, I know that I can." Umiko retorts.

"Yeah! That's the spirit. You tell Fishface what you can do!" Taro says encouragingly.

Kisame grumbles under his breath about people being unoriginal with nicknames and Umiko just laughs. Poor guy. She supposed that he probably got called that a lot.

"He's a smart boy." Itachi comments to Naruto.

"Thanks! That's nice of you to say." The blonde says happily.

"He already knows the value of finding a woman who isn't afraid of handling a big sword. I'm sure that their children will be beautiful one day." Itachi finishes and Naruto sputters in outrage.

Umiko feels her face burn bright red at her uncle's implications and she notices that she wasn't the only one. Taro was blushing as red as his hair. Good. Well at least she wasn't the only one who was embarrassed.

"I can't believe that you actually said that!" Suigetsu and Naruto thunder at him.

"My husband was merely joking. The children are far too young to worry about such things." Mei says soothingly.

"Exactly. I give it at least another six years or so before they make the both of you grandfathers." Itachi adds.

Thankfully, the rest of their dinner went normally. No more embarrassing comments were heard. Umito figured that had something to do with their mothers' death glares than anything else, but she wasn't going to argue.

"Alright. Let's head home." Suigetsu calls out as they pay the bill and soon after that, they all head off.

* * *

A few hours later, Umito wakes up to get a midnight snack. She smiles when she sees her mother was also doing the same. She supposed that they shared that in common. They were both night owls.

"I'll pour another glass of milk and get out some more chocolate chip cookies, if you like." She says and Umito nods eagerly.

As she was watching her mother pour the milk, Umiko bites her lower lip. Well it was now or never, she supposed. It was a rare moment when you were alone with one other person in the Uchiha Household. That's just what happened when you had three brothers and sisters, two cousins, and lots of "aunts" and "uncles." So she should take advantage of it.

"M-Mother, how did you know that Father was the one you wanted to be with?" She manages to stammer out.

Umiko hated herself for stammering. Uchihas didn't stammer! They were supposed to be cooler than that!

"Mmm well it's a very long story." Suki replies in amusement.

"I've got time! It's not like I have class tomorrow!" She says proudly.

She sees her mother chuckle and frowns a bit. Was her mother laughing at her? Nah. Her mother wouldn't laugh at her. She was probably just laughing at a funny memory of her father.

"Mmm I suppose that's true. I told you about what happened to your grandparents and the rest of my side of the family. You know the truth behind the Massacre, but I didn't always. There was a long time when I thought that your uncle was the most evil man alive and I would have done anything to kill him. I was wrong, but I didn't know the truth back then." The dark beauty sighs.

"I know. It's okay, Mother. It's not like you knew. You can't blame yourself for that!" Umito says.

"Thank you, Baby. That's not entirely true though. I should have questioned it. I should have known that my beloved older brother wouldn't turn into a monster overnight, but I didn't question it. I'd like to blame that on my age, but it doesn't really matter. The fact of the matter is that I went off to the Sound to become stronger." Suki continues.

Umiko nods. She knew this part. Well she knew what she assumed was a sanitized version of it, anyway. Umiko suspected that her mother had done a lot of editing to make it "safe" for her and her siblings to listen to, but she digressed.

"I know this part. You said you'd be Orochimaru's Vessel, if he helped you get stronger. Where does Father come in though? I know that he was in the Sound for awhile." Umiko says.

"Yes, I did agree to become his Vessel. Orochimaru was a highly intelligent individual. A genius really, but he had tunnel vision. He actually thought that I was going to give him my body. It's as though he forgot my second goal." Suki observes.

The younger Uchiha woman nods. She knew that when her mother was her age, Suki Uchiha only had two goals. To kill Itachi and to restore her Clan. Thankfully, she had only accomplished one.

"Father says you rescued him from a tank." She adds helpfully.

"Mhm. That's right. I did. After I killed Orochimaru, I realized that I needed a team. I needed a team to take out Itachi. That's why I rescued your father. He was going to be a member of my team and he was for a time." Suki continues on.

Umiko nods encouragingly. This was all fascinating, but it wasn't anything that she didn't know so far. How was this supposed to help her realize, if she liked Taro as a friend or something else?

"What happened?" The white haired girl asks.

"Mmm well a lot of things. As you know, I also rescued Karin and Jugo. We traveled around many places, looking for Itachi. As we were searching for him, your father and I got closer. He was quite…lavish with his affections. At first, I tried to ignore it or told him to wait until Itachi was dead. Your father can be very persuasive though." Suki says with a fond smile.

She wondered, if she would ever smile like that. That was the smile of a woman who was very much in love. Maybe, someday.

"So Father was the one that pursued you? Is that normal? The boy chases the girl?" She asks.

If that was the case, she had nothing to worry about. If Taro liked her, he'd hit on her. She could just sit back and wait to see what she felt like when it happened.

"Mmm well I wouldn't want to stereotype that easily. I'd say that is the case more often than not, but there is nothing wrong with the woman making the first move. Many women do." Suki says with a shrug.

"Oh. Okay." Umiko mumbles, not sure how to feel about that development.

She was all for girls being able to do the same stuff boys did! Umiko could swing a sword better than any boy, really. It was just it would have been easier, if Taro had to make the first move.

"You sound a bit disappointed." Suki muses.

"Oh no! I'm not disappointed! Um you still didn't really say how you knew that father was the one for you." She says in a rush.

The last thing that she needed was for her mother to figure out why she was asking these questions. Her mother probably wouldn't embarrass her, but her father would. Suigetsu would probably terrify Taro!

She loved her dad, but he could be very dramatic sometimes. That and he loved to flash his sharp teeth around. Oh and his swords. He definitely loved waving his swords around. In short, her father could be extremely intimidating when he wanted to be.

"Mmm I'm not sure that there was a precise moment. At first, he was just a means to an end. He was going to help me kill Itachi and I was going to help him get Kisame's sword. Somewhere along the way though, it became something more. I can't imagine my life without him now." She tells her daughter as she kisses her cheek.

"Awe. That's sweet, Princess. I love you too." Suigetsu says and with that, he strides into the kitchen.

"How long have you been spying on our mother-daughter bonding time?" Suki demands as she raises an eyebrow.

To anyone else, Suki Uchiha would have sounded mildly annoyed. Umiko knew the truth though. Her parents were probably going to sneak off together soon.

"Mmm about five minutes. I think it's cute. Oh and since you love me so much, do you think you'll wear that gift I got for you awhile ago? Back before Umiko was born?" He asks slyly.

"That was over a decade ago. You didn't actually keep that thing, did you?" The Uchiha woman asks.

"Of course, I did. I bet that you'll look beautiful in it." He replies with a smirk.

Oh boy. Yeah. That was totally her cue to exit. She needed to make a tactful exit.

"Thanks, mom! Night, dad! I'm going to go get some sleep." She says a she grabs a cookie.

"Night, Baby." Suki and Suigetsu say in unison as they watch their dart prepare to make a tactical retreat.

Umikto nods and decides that was really her cue to leave. It would have been rude to just run off, but now she could. After all, she had said goodnight.

* * *

"It's fun embarrassing the kids. Isn't it?" Suigetsu asks as he shows Suki the tiny pink lingerie set.

"Yes, it is. You had better make it worth my while, if you expect me to actually wear that." Suki informs him as she snuggles into his arms.

"Oh trust me, Princess. I'll definitely make it worth your while!" He promises her.

* * *

The next day, Umiko heads off to find Taro. Mother had said that women sometimes made the first move. So she supposed that she should get on with it. They were ninjas. Ninjas didn't waste time!

"Hey, Umiko. So what did you want to talk about?" He asks in confusion.

"Well you know how we're friends?" She asks as she shyly fiddles with her sword.

"Yeah. I know. Is everything alright?" The red head inquires with an adorably baffled expression on his face.

That was such a cute expression. She'd never seen anything like it. It was like a confused puppy or something!

"Do you want to be something more than friends?" She asks as shyly brushes her lips against his.

She was new to this whole kissing thing. Though at least her first kiss had been on purpose. She knew that her mother hadn't been so lucky. (Actually, her father was still rather sore at Naruto for "stealing" Suki's first kiss, but she digressed).

His eyes widen and for a moment, Umiko wonders if she did something wrong. Maybe, he didn't like her that way. That or maybe she was a bad kisser. (That would be blasphemy because Uchihas weren't supposed to be bad kissers)!

That's when she feels him shyly kiss back and she mentally sighs in relief. Oh good. So he DID like her then!

"Yeah. I t-think that I'd like that." He says with a smile.

"Good! Me too! Though don't expect me to go easy on you in training." She warns him.

"Funny. I was about to say the same to you." Taro says as he lunges at her playfully.

Umito smiles and dodges. Well that was easier than expected. Her mom really did give the best advice!


End file.
